Pamola Bakery aims to open at River Market soon
After moving here from Mexico about 30 months ago, Alfonso Fernandez was taking a self-employment course at Douglas College’s New Westminster campus.
During some free time he would poke around Downtown and the Quay. He came across the River Market and began looking into it. Although Fernandez ran a hardware store back in Mexico, he and his wife, Katia Mayo, also had a catering business.
He thought the River Market might be a good place to set up shop.
“The first thing I liked was the place. The area where it is located is very nice, beside the river. I like the boardwalk,” says Fernandez. “I found it was a very interesting project. We connected very well with the people of the River Market. They have been very supportive and very helpful.”
Fernandez said he also liked the market’s approach, with a focus on “traditional food” and family owned, not franchises.
“It will be traditional, original and authentic,” he says of their bakery.
Fernandez and Mayo will operate Pamola Bakery and Deli, which will have a Mexican and Spanish flavour to it. Mayo will be in charge of the bakery while Fernandez will handle the deli and general administration.
“The bakery will carry European bread and buns and also a line of Mexican-style breads. In the deli we will carry some traditional Mexican dishes (such as paella) and some traditional Spanish dishes also,” says Fernandez.
“We will have four basic tacos. One is named Cochinita, and it is a slow-cooked pork marinated in sour orange.” The bakery will also carry Mexican paninis, with ham and cheese, smoked beef, turkey, chorizo and cheese.
The shop is in the final stages of construction with the hope it will be open the first week of October.
“We have participated in the festivals at the River Market, and we have created a lot of expectation and many, many people have asked us about when we are going to be open. That’s a good thing because a lot of people are waiting for us,” he says.
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