The Godines Guzman and Montes family began with a bakery in Mexico and is continuing with a bakery in Poulsbo. Cake Studio: Mexican Bakery (Cake Studio Panaderia Mexicana) in Poulsbo is owned and operated by Luis Montes; his wife, Liliana Godines Guzman; and their daughter, Angela Montes. The family-owned, small business offers both sweet and savory goodies to its customers.
Angela Montes explains that her parents “met working at a bakery down in Mexico in 1996.” After getting married and moving to the United States, they continued to bake. “My mom has always made cakes at home and he [her father, Luis Montes] used to sell bread from our house,” she says.
A family friend suggested that their household start up their own bakery. On one hand, baking was an important part of their lives, and it could be a good opportunity. On the other hand, at the time, COVID-19 was going on. Montes says her father was concerned that the pandemic would cause issues for their new bakery. “He still did it,” though, she says.
In fact, Luis Montes taking the brave step to start Cake Studio turned out to be a great thing for their family. They opened on June 28, 2021, and have found success. “Most of the time, we’re consistent. We have plenty of work,” explains Angela Montes.
In addition to the economic success, Cake Studio has been enjoyable for the Godines Guzman and Montes family on a personal level. Luis Montes states that one of the things he appreciates about owning and running his own bakery is having “time for the family.” He also likes being able to connect better with the customers, since he can personally work with them.
Based on customer response, Luis and Angela Montes say that two of their popular baked goods are the conchas (Mexican sweet bread) and pan de elote (Mexican cornbread). Conchas is a small, fluffy loaf of bread meant for an individual and is dusted with cinnamon streusel. Pan de elote is another fluffy baked good. However, Angela Montes explains that it’s unlike American cornbread. It’s sweeter and less dense and has a sticky texture that is more like a moist cake. It’s similar to banana bread or zucchini bread in concept.
Cake Studio also has flan, elephant ears, galletas, cupcakes and full-sized cakes. The cakes can be customized and include a cheesecake option as well. In addition, the bakery offers savory options like empanadas, tortas and weekend tamales. Many bakeries only sell sweets, so it’s a delight for Cake Studio to include options for those without a sweet-tooth or for the busy errand-runner who needs a delicious meal to reenergize while picking up a beautiful cake or other baked goodies at the shop.
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