Conchas covered in crumbled cookies. Conchas flavored like churros. Conchas infused with Abuelita hot chocolate.
If these all sound enticing to you, then My Panecito in Gardena may be your heaven on earth.
The bright pink panadería, founded by Jose Ruiz, quickly gained popularity in its first year of operation for incorporating Mexican and nostalgic flavors like cookies-and-cream and mazapán in a twist traditional pan dulce as we know it.
His conchas come in 12 different flavors, all but guaranteeing a unique concha for every taste.
The toppings, which often come in the form of crumbles, add a layer of texture and upgrade these foundational pan dulces to another level of crave-ability. A light coat of glaze adds the slightest layer of crunch without interfering with the traditional taste of the crumb below.
While you can pair any of the brand's conchas with a drink like its horchata latte or chocolate Abuelita mocha expresso, we simply like to dip the sweet bread into a good old cup of black coffee, their sweetness pairing perfectly with the tartness of the plain mud.
Ruiz’s hard work and mission of providing something new for his community stem from a dedication to continuing his family’s legacy of creating breads that customers covet.
He succeeds with this South Bay panadería. The craze for his pan dulce has social media users comparing the Mexican bakery to the famous dessert shop Crumbl, for its variety of different flavors.
Long before My Panecito's success, Ruiz had worked for years in the restaurant industry. In 1989, his father became a franchisee for IHOP after years of hard work, unintentionally launching Ruiz’s journey into a career as a baker.
“My father is my biggest inspiration," Ruiz tells L.A. TACO. "He was able to come from nothing, and even though he didn’t speak the language, he still built multiple successful businesses. From not knowing the language when he arrived at 14 from Michoacán, to being a busser at IHOP, and working his way up.”
His father taught him about business and how to put in work when he was just eight years old.
“I remember sleeping in the office and pretty much waking up to help,” he says, pulling a batch of strawberry conchas from the oven.
After graduating from middle school, Ruiz quit school to devote more time to the family franchise location.
“My dad said, you either get good grades, or you have to do something else,” Ruiz says. “So having a family business, I decided to help and work instead.”
According to Ruiz, this decision taught him valuable lessons about the responsibilities a person has when they choose not to go to school.
“It made me want to go back to school so badly, but by the time I tried, I was too backed up and had to go to continuation school," he says. "So I decided once again to stick it out and work."
Eventually, Ruiz helped to take over the business, transforming it from an IHOP location to the family's next venture, Loaded Cafe. The concept was the same: serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, specializing in adding Mexican touches to beloved classics.
At Loaded Cafe, you could get anything from dulce de leche french toast to enchiladas and carne de puerco en salsa verde—pork stewed in green salsa.
The concept became so successful that they now have multiple Loaded locations throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. In fact, My Panecito came into existence as Ruiz attempted to expand Loaded Cafe.
After purchasing a new location with plans to convert it into a commercial kitchen, he came across a man who, unbeknownst to him, would be the key element to a future business venture.
“Long story short, the day we were handed those keys, the person who gave them to us said the place used to be a bakery,” he recalls.
Edmundo, a panadero there, told Ruiz that if he ever needed a baker, he should give him a call.
Ruiz explained to Edmundo that they had no intentions of creating a bakery, but saved his number as a courtesy.
But their paths would cross once more after Ruiz figured out how to make the new kitchen work, brainstorming concept ideas until he landed on one.
“I started to analyze some of the places that were going viral for their food and saw these brands making it big with cookies, donuts, and pastries for the last year,” he says. “So, I thought, why hasn't anybody done the same with Mexican bread?”
Besides eating the sweet bread when he was younger, Ruiz confesses that he didn’t actually know how to bake a memorable concha. Fortunately, he still had that number he saved.
He contacted Edmundo and learned the man descends from a long family line of bakers coming from Puebla, a renowned seat of estimable bakers. The rest was history.
“This baker is a huge part of what we have accomplished. We unified and that’s when My Panecito was born,” Ruiz says. “I came with my ideas. And he came with his baking skills.”
Aside from finding different ways to incorporate Mexican flavors and doing his best to stay on top of trends, his main priority is freshness. Every customer receives their conchas right out of the oven. New batches are baked anew every 30 to 45 minutes.
How fast they disappear doesn’t matter; you are always guaranteed a fresh batch. There are no stale conchas here.
“When we initially started, it was trial and error,” he says while scrolling through the business' social media account. “What I thought was good when we first started is nothing compared to what we have now; we’ve changed things up based on customers' feedback. For us, it's about what the customers want, not what we want.”
He said they have found the right balance between good products, culture, tradition, and trying something new. Like many businesses adapting to social media, he watches out for trending flavors.
For example, they are developing a recipe for a Dubai chocolate concha, which consists of pistachio cream, milk chocolate, and toasted kataifi in emulation of the viral Dubai chocolate bar. Inspired by the Middle Eastern dessert knafeh, the treat continues its viral ascent after several steady months.
As for comparisons to Crumbl, Ruiz doesn't seem to mind.
“I feel great that I’m being compared to these monster companies that have succeeded," he says. "For me, there’s no jealousy or anything, although I do think that at this point we are carving out our own lane.”
“And I’m not saying we invented anything, because no, everything has already been invented, we just made this our way,” he adds.
It’s only been a year and a month since My Panecito opened, and Ruiz is amazed at how quickly it has gone viral, so much so that local “foodies” and celebrities like Larry Hernandez and comedian Leo Gonzalez have stopped by to purchase their share of conchas.
Some customers have even driven more than four hours to try his famous conchas, different variations of cakes and Mexican cookies, and equally viral "mega" bolillos, which are the size of a forearm. His bread is not just appealing to the eye; it’s also very appetizing.
Ruiz said he is following in his father’s footsteps and hopes to franchise My Panecito by the end of next year. Two weeks ago, he opened a joint location in Orange County that fuses Loaded Cafe and the bakery.
“I appreciate everyone's love and support. Because of you, my family has been blessed,” he says. “Through your support, we’ve also provided jobs and more opportunities for our community.”
As for his dad, who has guided him through different avenues in his life, Ruiz just wants to continue making him proud.
“I respect him, his hustle, and his work ethic," he says. "And I am trying to continue growing the blessings and legacy he created."
My Panecito ~ 1701 W. El Segundo Blvd. Gardena, CA 90249; 131 N. Kraemer Blvd. Placentia, CA 92870
