This July, both businesses are marking important milestones with special events honoring the communities that have supported them from the start.
The smell of freshly baked bread and a pastry defines weekends in many Puerto Rican homes. For the communities of Río Piedras and Miramar, that ritual has names: Bobet's Bakehouse and Lucía Pâtisserie & Café.
Two barrios, two success stories
Bobet's Bakehouse is turning one year old on Paseo de Diego, steps from Selena Pizzeria and the Plaza del Mercado, and has built a reputation as one of the better spots for sourdough bread in San Juan.
Meanwhile, eight years after opening, Lucía Pâtisserie & Café is still serving Miramar from its corner on Avenida Ponce de León.
The sourdough legacy
For Alejo Bobet, owner of the Río Piedras bakery, fate had other plans. "My grandfather started this legacy at 14, back in the '50s. My dad also started working in my grandfather's bakery at around 14," he says.
Although he never pictured himself following in their footsteps, his artisan bakery today focuses on simplicity, flour, water and salt, to make wholesome breads that bring families together every weekend.
"Río Piedras never died. There are a lot of business owners who have been here for years trying to keep it alive," Bobet says.
Bobet's has made collaboration its calling card. From "Burger Nights" with restaurants like Tía Cocina to sourdough-making workshops, Bobet's has become a gathering place in the urban center of Río Piedras.
🥖 What to order at Bobet's:
Sourdough bread (the specialty)
Croissants filled with almond or pistachio
Brioche for sandwiches
Artisan baguettes
Eight years of pastries with a French accent
As Bobet's marks its first year in Río Piedras, Lucía Pâtisserie & Café in Miramar is preparing a larger celebration. Chef Lucía Merino, a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist in the Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker category, discovered her passion for baking through a cookbook her aunt gave her.
After studying culinary arts in Miami and working in restaurants in that city, as well as Madrid, Barcelona and Dallas, she returned to Puerto Rico in 2015. Two years later, together with her husband Johan Villafañe, she opened Lucía Pâtisserie.
"Our dream was always to make desserts inspired by French classics… We try to bring that touch, using local products… giving things that little Caribbean flavor," Merino explains.
🥐 What to order at Lucía:
The quesitos danish (laminated dough filled with a cheese mixture and glazed with honey and almond syrup)
Chocolate and passion fruit cake
Lemon tart
Viennoiseries with local jams
"It has been really beautiful to see how people who supported us from the moment we arrived (from Dallas to Puerto Rico in 2015), when we were selling from my grandmother's house," Merino says with a smile, recalling customers who ordered cakes for their weddings and baby showers and now come back with their young children.
"To see that person who, at one point, we didn't know, and now, when we see them, we give them a kiss and a hug," the chef adds.
The challenges of daily operations
Despite community support, both businesses face challenges common to small companies in Puerto Rico. Power instability tops the list of daily obstacles.
"We depend on electricity; we have very delicate products that require constant refrigeration," Bobet says, noting he has had to invest in generators to keep production going.
For Merino and Villafañe, the blackouts were a deciding factor in their move. "It was one of the main reasons for the move [to a new space] … the power was constantly going out … we'd have things in the oven and the power would go out and they'd be ruined, we'd have to throw them out and start over," they recall of their former space, just a few blocks from where they are now.
These incidents have forced both business owners to develop contingency plans and invest in backup equipment to keep their operations running.
🎉 Celebrating with the community
Despite the daily challenges, neighborhood support remains the constant. During July, both bakeries will hold special events to thank the neighbors and customers who have supported them over the years.
Lucía Pâtisserie will open its doors on Saturday, July 19, during its regular hours (8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.), with special daily desserts, live music by Los Pleneros del Más Allá and a raffle with gift cards and exclusive merchandise.
Bobet's Bakehouse has a full weekend of festivities planned. On Saturday the 26th, it will give away artisan baguettes to the first 50 people who visit the space.
The main event comes on Sunday the 27th with its coffee party from noon to 5:00 p.m., which will include a market of local brands, music by DJ Imperia and a drag show headlined by Victoria Holiday, along with coffee, cocktails and special pastries.
These events follow the collaborative model that has defined Bobet's during its first year, during which it has organized various monthly collaborations with neighboring businesses and markets that activate Paseo de Diego on weekends.
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
