In the back of a cul-de-sac in a home on the east side of town is the most unexpected, happy find. At the fairly new Cuca’s Pan Dulce customers will find some of the most delicious pan dulce.

Newcomers to the Old Pueblo might not know what pan dulce is but those of us who have been here for some time (or forever) know that it is one of Mexico’s best gifts to the world. A quick translation tells the curious everything they need to know: sweet bread. Yes, at its core that’s exactly what pan dulce is, but look deeper and something beautiful is revealed. Take for example a concha. It’s large, round, sweet but not too sweet and topped with a sugar and butter paste. Some say they are best eaten with a cup of coffee, but many purists like to eat them just by themselves. 

Diane “Cuca” Rodriguez sells among other things conchas, empanadas (fruit turnovers) and cochinitos (piggy cookies) fresh. Don’t even think about weight loss. It’s not possible here, especially when your baker husband is creative.

“He was making new things every week,” she said. “He would make one to three new things and of course with something being new I have to try it because I want to be able to explain to my customers what it tastes like and if it’s good. It’s hard being all around the bread.

If customers feel like it, they can buy a cup of coffee to go with their purchase.

Cuca has loved to bake ever since she was a young teen and hung around in a bakery kitchen.

“We had friends who worked in a bakery so we got to hang out with them in the bakery and we got to help out with little things,” she said. “When they would make the fresh bolillos and they would come out of the oven, I would go grab one, cut it open, put some butter in there… Or when they were cutting the cakes they would cut off the edges and me and my friend, we would be over there eating the edges, the whipped cream and stuff like that.”

Cuca’s grandmother baked as well.

As an adult Cuca worked at a local big box store. She would bake and bring the results into the break room. They proved popular and soon she was taking orders. On her days off she would come in with a trayful of pan dulce and sell it to employees. From that she got an order for 200 empanadas. Her neighbors could smell the aroma of baking bread and they began ordering. That was during Covid times and Cuca wanted to be home.

“I felt like it was more of a safer place,” she said.

She and her husband, who is a professional baker, opened Cuca’s at the beginning of August. 

At 10 in the morning every Thursday, Friday and Saturday Cuca opens the drapes in what was once her living room, light floods in and the business day has begun. At least the public part of the business opens. The family, including Cuca’s husband and daughter Mary, have been hard at it for some hours. Because this is truly a family business, Mary bakes custom-order cakes.

The system at Cuca’s is easy to navigate. After locating the house — it’s in a residential area and there’s a small-ish sign on the fence in front — walk in, grab a tray and tongs and head for the glass case. Take out what you want and Cuca will be behind a table to take your money. She takes cash, credit card or debit card. 

Some wonder why she chose her home as her store.

“People ask ‘Why don’t you move into a (commercial) building?’ and I’m just like, ‘No, I’m comfortable here,’” she said. 

Evidently her customers are, too.

“Sometimes my customers, they’ll sit and talk,” Cuca added. “I don’t rush anybody out. … I have people who grab something, sit her and just eat.”

She has dreams of opening a patio where people can enjoy their coffee and sweet bread.

In the meantime, she really enjoys having people come by and pass the time over her sweet breads. If would-be customers have never been there and don’t know what to buy, Cuca offers samples

“Come try our bread so that way you know we have good bread,” she said. 

Cuca’s Pan Dulce
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: 5306 E. 28th Street

INFO: bit.ly/4jTPyYE