Downtown Logansport, Indiana, has many hidden cultural gems, some of which can be tasted in La Panadería Country Bakery. Customers, whether that be families, passerbys or regulars, are greeted with a bakery scent that smells sweet and even homey for certain guests.
Cecilio Martínez, owner of La Panadería Country Bakery since 2001, wanted to bring the flavors and spirit of Hispanic culture to the community with his baked goods. When coming to Logansport, Martinez, his wife Alicia and his children saw a great opportunity to start the business.
“Here in Logansport, Indiana, we started in 2001, with my wife Alicia and my little son, Ricky, who was three years old,” Martinez said. “It looked like a good town for raising my children. Cecially and Kehlani were born in Indiana. They became my inspiration to continue baking Mexican products and to always try my best. It was a way to give them their education. Thanks to my friend Francisco and God for helping us move to Logansport; it’s the reason why we work so hard every day. We work, and we try our best for our customers. Clients from different countries like our Mexican products.”
Owning a bakery comes from a passion for baking, which was what Martinez grew up doing and loving.
“The products we make are originally from Mexico,” Martinez said. “It’s a part of being Mexican; we bake. In my family, it’s what they taught.”
In the bakery, customers can find conchas, churros, cakes, (wedding) cookies, empanadas, etc. There’s a section of refrigerators which hold a variety of drinks such as Coca Cola, Sprite, milk and also have slices of cake, specifically the flavor tres leches.
“The pastry that sells the most are churros, conchas, bolillos, and a variety of other Mexican pastries,” Martinez said. “They dip their conchas into coffee. The churros sell the most because when they taste them, they remember being with their Mexican family in their small town. The bolillos are used to make the tortas with carnitas and chicharrones. We brought a bit of Mexico to the United States to let people experience nostalgia or the Mexican taste.”
Despite most of the pastries originating from Mexico, Martinez mentioned that customers from other countries will describe them as if it were from their own country.
“We try to have the product that most reminds them of our country, like Mexico,” Martinez said. “People from El Salvador have told me that the Mexican bread tastes similar to their country’s bread or other places. For example, churros from Cuba are a lot different from the ones found in Spain. Cuba’s churros are more filled with chocolate. The churros from the Mexican bakery are always natural, and that’s why people relate such significance to the Mexican products. We make everything from scratch.”
Maintaining a business that offers a variety of cultural products stems from Martinez’s deep connection with his background.
“I am proud that the Hispanic community is recognized in the United States,” Martinez said. “I always represent Mexico with pride. I also run marathons and always wear my shirt with the Mexican flag and my Mexican hat. I ran 26 miles in Chicago representing my country. Being Hispanic fills me with pride.”
Quotes were translated from Spanish to English with the help of Rafael Vazquez, Yareli Hernandez, Crystal Gomez and Emily Yanez.
