Wagging tails and drooling smiles lined up outside the corner of Woodruff Avenue and Foster Road in Downey as pet owners and their furry friends anticipated the opening of Los Angeles' first Latina-owned dog bakery—La Pawnadería.
The bakery's opening is a significant accomplishment for owner Adriana Montoya, who operated from her home kitchen in South Gate throughout 2023. Back then, this single mom managed her business with the help of her own mother, plus friends or family who were willing to help her package orders—spending many days baking until the crack of dawn. Now, she has a fully staffed bakery.
“It’s a big deal for all of us because we started as a small business, baking from home, and it’s been a long journey,” said Montoya, taking a break from attending to customers and ensuring everything was in order in the kitchen. “We're celebrating being together as a community, and celebrating the Hispanic community, and being able to have our pets enjoy the best treats for them.”
At first glance, the bakery looks like any other panadería. The glass windows are hand-painted with colorful displays of papel picado, a pink cake, pan dulce, and a trail of white paw prints. Inside, the sweet smell of treats fills the air and a full kitchen in back has racks pilled high with conchas, puerquitos, and other Mexican treats and candy, which get packaged as they are ordered.
The bakery is unique. While the baked goods are edible, we don’t recommend taking a bite because this bakery specializes in custom cakes and Mexican-inspired pawnecito that are safe for your animals to eat, not necessarily humans.