Porto's high-quality products and services help the popular bakery win the Modern Baking's 2005 Retail Bakery of the Year.

Modern Baking featured Porto’s story of bakery innovation and smart business decisions in its April issue. Modern Baking presented the award to Porto’s Owners Raul Porto, Margarita Navarro and Betty Porto and Chief Pastry Chef Tony Salazar. "The driving force behind everything Porto’s Bakery does has been quality," said Heather Brown, Modern Baking editor and associate publisher. "I was most impressed by how they’ve handled their growth over the years through organized management and by being willing to take a few risks along the way."

Porto’s representatives will also travel to Chicago to attend RBA–The Retail Bakers of America’s Marketplace 2005 convention and exhibition where they will be spotlighted by Modern Baking.

From its humble beginnings to the booming business it is today, Porto’s Bakery sweats the details from its quality ingredients and processes in the back-end to its customer service and beautifully remodeled storefront.

Founded in 1974 by Rosa and Raul Porto Sr., this small retail bakery began specializing in custom decorated cakes and Cuban baked products. Still family run by brother-sister team, Raul Porto, Beatriz Porto and Margarita Navarro, the bakery maintains its Cuban roots but has diversified to changing clientele and market trends.

To accommodate its growing customer base from around the Los Angeles area, Porto’s recently expanded to offer more seating, a kitchen and café offerings. Lunch crowds are known to line up down the block for the bakery’s signature Cuban sandwiches and cheese rolls. Since the expansion, sales have gone up an average of 40%, according to Raul.

Expanding when it was right for them, investing in smart bakery equipment and developing organized systems to handle their business has been among the many keys to their success. And, they’re not done yet. A second location is in the works to open in Burbank, Calif., next fall.