Artisan Breads, By Way of Mexico

To Our Readers: This is the latest in our series on the Montgomery Village Farmers Market. Throughout the summer, Patch will take a closer look at each of the market’s vendors—who they are, what inspires them—to trace the path from their hard work to your shopping bag. (The market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through Oct. 29 at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church, 9801 Centerway Road.)

Article by Meghan Tierney; photos by Sebastian Montes

The work never stops at Canela Bakery in Gaithersburg.

The family-owned bakery is open at least 14 hours a day, but even after the registers are cashed out and the doors locked, employees prepare dough, bake bread and cook the morning’s donuts and churros all through the night.

Rosario and Rosendo Gamboa, a husband-and-wife team from Rockville, started the business three years ago after their friend—and now partner, baker and production manager—Eloy Dosendiz told them about a German bakery for sale on Muddy Branch Road in Gaithersburg. They had been planning to invest in a restaurant but fell in love with the bakery and its emphasis on natural ingredients. They named it Canela—Spanish for "cinnamon"—and sell traditional Mexican breads and treats such as flan and empanadas.  

"All around here you can find places that sell Latino bread but not Mexican," said Rosendo, 44, who grew up in Mexico. "We used to go to Manassas to get bread."

"It was worth it," said Rosario Gamboa, 42.

Rosario and Rosendo met in Mexico and married after moving to the United States in 1996. Rosendo, a chemical engineer, treated himself to a vacation in New York City after being laid off, then moved to the States three months later in search of better opportunities. He bused tables while he learned English and Rosario, a nurse who also spoke only Spanish, followed soon after. She was hired by a man to care for his ill wife, and the family sponsored the Gamboas for citizenship.

The Gamboas eventually started a home remodeling company, which is still the family’s primary source of income. The couple began to break even on the bakery after the first year and have invested their profits into expanding the business, with new equipment and a fleet of delivery vehicles. The first year was difficult but they promoted the fledgling business through radio ads, distributing flyers and selling their products to various stores.

"We were very proud of our products and put it in different stores. As soon as people tried it they wanted to buy it," Rosario said. "It just needs people to have a bite and they fall in love with the bread."

The Gamboas have put together a team that is passionate about their craft, from the baker who creates traditional Mexican breads to the pastry chef who makes delicate, multicolored flowers out of gelatin and can reproduce any picture with cake frosting. They started out with only a handful of employees and have grown to a staff of 19 people. The couple’s children—Gabrielle, 10, and Adolpho, 8—help out at the bakery and run their own business selling drinks at farmers markets. They can even identify Canela’s 16 kinds of breads by smell alone.

"Each job here is artistic in its own way," Rosendo said. "Everything needs to look good. We have very talented people."

Canela already took part in farmers markets in Olney, Comus, King Farm, the Kentlands and Bethesda. The Gamboas also sell their products to Oyamel Cocina Mexicana, a Washington, D.C. restaurant, and stores such as MOM’s Organic Market, Yes! Organic Market, Roots Market and other grocers in the D.C. area.

They jumped at the chance to be a part of Montgomery Village's farmers market, which is already proving to be the best of the six they participate in, Rosario said. At the Village market's debut, Canela sold out within an hour.

"Farmers markets are awesome. It’s a very inexpensive way for us to promote our bakery,” Rosario said. "When I heard about the Montgomery Village one, I said ‘Let’s go for it!’"