bakingbuyer - March 2011 - (Page PAN 43)

PROFILES Tropicana Bakery & Cuban Café Walking into Tropicana Bakery & Cuban Café in Downey, CA is almost like taking a trip to Latin America. The music, décor, coffee, food and pastries set the tone for a Cuban experience—not just a trip to the local bakery. Brothers Mike and Mel Madrazo run Tropicana, keeping their Cuban father, their Mexican mother, and their entire range of customers in mind in everything they do. “We fuse our background and recipes into all of our products,” Mike says. “We find a way to put our Madrazo stamp on everything and give a unique profile that’s different than everyone else’s.” The building in which Tropicana currently stands was originally an Italian deli. The deli closed down in the late 1980s, and the owner rented the space to a different Cuban bakery. “I’d come over for Cuban pastries, coffee and sandwiches, but they ran into some Tropicana Bakery & Cuban Café 10218 Paramount Blvd. Downey, CA 90241 (562) 806-8343 Mike and Mel Madrazo General Managers troubles and long story short, they shut it down,” Mike says. Mike and Mel’s grandfather had owned a bakery-café in Cuba and had taught their father how to bake, as well as which products and recipes a Cuban bakery should have. The family decided to purchase the space and open a Cuban bakery-café of their own, with a coffeehouse feel. “In Latin America there is a tradition with coffee, similar to English Tea Time, called la hora de tertulia (the gathering hour),” Mike says. “It’s a social time throughout the day where people come to have coffee, pastries, maybe a meal. We definitely wanted to incorporate that feel.” And that they did—down to the smallest details. In their extensive coffee line, they have a mocha, which is made with Mexican hot chocolate and Cuban espresso—a blend of their parents’ backgrounds. To pair with their coffee drinks, they offer several Cuban pastries, such as natilla (custard with meringue and ladyfingers), señoritas (napoleans) and cappuccinos (solid cake bread drenched in candy liqueur)—many of which are made using products from BakeMark. “BakeMark is our main purveyor,” Mel says. “They have probably helped us with 80 percent of our production.” Cuban breads and crackers are also available, as well as a full line of traditional Hispanic bakery items and a beautiful array of cakes. And all of the products can be sociably enjoyed in Tropicana’s large seating area—in the true spirit of la hora de tertulia. MARCH 11 | PANADERIA 43

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of bakingbuyer - March 2011

bakingbuyer - March 2011
EDITOR’S NOTE - Reacting to the Economy
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
INDUSTRY NEWS
RBA to Relocate Headquarters
Caravan Names Director, Food Ingredient Sales
Bread Bakers Guild Adds to Board
Hobart Launches “Get Back to Scratch”
Gonnella Baking Promotes Dan Herzog
Danisco Takes Food Protection Gluten-free
IDDBA Speakers for 2011 Show
Expert Baker Joins New French Bakery
Green Baking
Bakery Toolkit
The Power of Promotions
CONTENTS
Inside and Out
Turn Impulse into Volume
Promote Personal Connections
Package, Protect, Promote
Loyalty Rewards
Shopper Spotlight
A Hot Concept
What’s Baking in Semifreddi’s Ovens
Team USA Profile
USA WINS SIGEP BREAD CUP
The Final Results of the Sigep Bread Cup 2011
A Guide to GRADUATION Cake Licensing
Your Options
Related Defi nitions
Here Comes the Groom's Cake
Personal Touch
Pillow Talk
Social Circles
How to Mold Filled Chocolate Candies
Alternative Method for Larger Jobs
Signature Sandwich Breads
Graduates Take th e Cake
Uncertain Times
Bake Your Own Signature
More Cake, Please
Word of Mouth
Creative Inspirations
THUMBS UP FOR GOURMET COFFEE
SANITATION Takes Center Stage
Production Schedule
FEATURED PRODUCTS
PRODUCT SHOWCASE
MARKETPLACE NETWORK
AD INDEX
BAKER’S DOZEN
BakeMark's Panaderia
CARTA DE INTRODUCCIÓN - Fusión Cubana
INTRODUCTORY LETTER - Cuban Fusion
Panes Dulces
Pasteles de Graduación
La Demanda Crece Por Platillos Étnicos y Opciones de Mejor Valor
Fusión Cubana
Porto’s Bakery & Café
Tropicana Bakery & Cuban Café
Reyna’s Bakery
Panadería La Mexicana
La Estrella Bakery
El Fogón
NUEVOS PRODUCTOS DE TRIGAL DORADO
CALENDARIO DE DÍAS FESTIVOS
FÓRMULAS
Sweet Breads
Wheat is on the Rise
Graduation Cakes
The Busy Graduation Season
Plan Ahead!
Demand Rising for Ethnic Fare and Value Options
Cuban Fusion
Porto’s Bakery & Café
Tropicana Bakery & Cuban Café
Reyna’s Bakery
Panadería La Mexicana
La Estrella Bakery
El Fogón
CALENDAR
NEW PRODUCTS FROM TRIGAL DORADO
FORMULAS

bakingbuyer - March 2011