Small Business Success Story: Cakes by Edith Bakery

At Cakes by Edith Bakery, founder Edith Gallegos and her family are doing more than creating delicious baked goods — they’re keeping Mexican traditions and culture alive.

With locations in Taylorsville and Riverton, this family owned panaderia and pasteleria offers 50 menu items — in addition to the custom cakes they are well-known for — including pan dulce, tres leches cakes and traditional Mexican breads.

Starting as a home-based business, Gallegos’ talent for baking has catapulted the business’ success, and earned her the honor of Business Woman of the Year from the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2019.

Gallegos — who emigrated to the U.S. from Michoacan, Mexico, in 2002 — operates the business with her husband, Jorge Lopez, and their daughters Alma and Diana. Here, they share strategies for success as a family-owned business and discuss the importance of keeping Mexican traditions alive. 

Tell us a little bit about your business. When did you start it and why?

Edith: Since I was a teenager, I always was dreaming about making cakes. I was making cakes out of my home for eight years and I had so many customers my little kitchen was not enough. When I decided to open a business, it was to make cakes for a lot of people but also to have a secure job for me and my husband. It makes me so happy and proud that I can have my job and also provide jobs for other families. We now have 15 employees total, including our family.

Tell me about your most popular products?

Alma: When my mom started the bakery my dad had baking experience so they introduced a few breads and traditional Mexican pastries along with cakes. As time went by we started adding more pastries and breads, such as churros with caramel filling, conchas, Mexican corn bread and puff pastries. We now have 50 items on our menu, in addition to cakes, and we are known throughout Utah for our custom cakes.

Why is it important to offer traditional Mexican baked goods?

Alma: We talk about this as a family. There may be a chance that this culture and these traditions are lost because a new generation of kids are being born here and may not be taught these traditions. We want to carry on these traditions to younger generations.

Why do you think your small business has been successful?

Diana: The quality of our products has made us very successful. My dad always had the goal to make our Mexican bread look very fine and very fancy. Mexican bread in general is delicious but there aren’t a variety of colors, shapes and tastes. Cleanliness and consistency are also important. We always try to have the same products and a good quantity. Also, our ability to create custom cakes has really skyrocketed our success and makes us different from other bakers.

Edith: Our customer service is really good and our prices are very affordable, even for custom cakes. People like that.

What are the keys to success in working as a family in your small business?

Edith: It’s been pretty easy, actually. We have meetings every Sunday as a family and we discuss the things we’ve been doing during the week, we set goals and we talk about what we want to improve.

Alma: Diana and I were born and raised into this business so it’s in our blood and we have so much passion for it. We know that we all have to work together to make it successful.

Diana: We literally saw our parents give their entire soul to this bakery and realized that we need to help them. We saw how much effort and passion my parents put into the bakery, and we grew that passion with them as well.

Alma: My sister and I both went to UVU and earned degrees in business. I received a degree in entrepreneurship and Diana in business marketing. We decided to go into those fields to help my parents with their business. It’s a family legacy and we want to continue it, further it, and eventually get my parents out of the business so they don’t have to work as much.

What are your best tips for aspiring small business owners?

Edith: If you have a dream go for it. You work more but you’re happy because it feels like you’re not working. Be the best at whatever you decide to sell or make.

Diana: Be willing to give it your all because if you have a business it’s like your baby. You have to be committed 100% to the business because no one else is going to get it up and running.

Alma: Know your worth and try to build tough skin. A lot of people will say negative things or try to bring you down but if you know your worth none of that will stop you.

How has Zions Bank helped with your entrepreneurial journey?

Edith: Zions Bank helped with a loan for our second location. Without them, it would not have been possible to expand. Our banker Debera Sharples is amazing.

Looking to start or grow your own small business? Zions Bank offers online business tools including business templates, columns, videos and financial calculators. Our Business Resource Centers in Salt Lake City and Boise provide 1-on-1 counseling and group training for entrepreneurs.

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