Panapolis Bakery opened its fourth San Jose location on Snell Avenue in October, drawing a block-and-a-half-long line of customers that emptied display cases within 90 minutes, San José Spotlight reported. The opening ceremony for the bakery, located at 5469 Snell Ave., included owner Aldo Ortiz and his family, who posed for a photo under a balloon arch and cut a ceremonial red ribbon. Scheduled remarks from District 2 Councilmember Pamela Campos and Consul General of México Neftali Said Pérez González were not delivered due to the large crowd that began forming an hour before the opening.
Resident Sal Jones, waiting in line, told San José Spotlight he anticipated the new location would be "as great as the others," expecting impulse buys despite diet concerns. Councilmember Campos, who was among the early customers, expressed excitement that Panapolis chose District 2 for its newest location, noting her positive childhood memories of local panaderias. She emphasized the need for diverse bakeries and local small businesses for residents to support, stating she would be a frequent visitor and was eyeing specific items like elote pan dulce and conchas.
Aldo Ortiz, a third-generation baker, arrived in America in 2012 at age 16, initially working various jobs including landscaping and warehouse roles after repairing shoes for his cobbler mother. His baking career began in 2015 out of necessity at his uncle’s Panaderia Ortiz in Morgan Hill. He learned the craft on the job and, within three weeks, found himself in charge of the entire bakery’s production when a baker quit. Ortiz described this period as challenging, enduring long hours and often wanting to quit.
Despite the difficulties, Ortiz developed a passion for baking, which led him to ask his uncle for better ingredients and to increase the size of the baked goods. This initiative transformed the bakery’s sales, growing from 500 items a day to 3,000 within a year. Ortiz found inspiration in positive customer feedback about his bread and focused on timely production, ensuring most breads were ready by the 5 a.m. opening and all by 6 a.m.
In 2018, Ortiz briefly returned to Mexico to open the first Panapolis in Michoacán. He came back to the U.S. in 2020 with $5,000 and a son due in three weeks. To raise capital for his own business, he worked 16 to 19 hours daily across four bakeries owned by different uncles for four months. He then bought a van to start a mobile bakery, facing initial difficulties finding parking and customers. He started making videos, some of which gained significant traction, including one with 9 million views. This marketing strategy dramatically increased his sales, jumping from less than $200 a day, barely covering ingredient costs, to more than $1,000 a day, a turning point he described as significant.
Ortiz initially rented kitchen space from an uncle’s business, Ortiz Bakery, for his mobile operation. When the building was sold in 2023, Ortiz purchased it from the new owner, establishing Panapolis No. 1 at 784 N. 13th St. The transition was relatively smooth as it was already a bakery. Converting a former Chinese restaurant into Panapolis No. 2 at 1492 Almaden Expressway, Ste A, was more challenging, taking a month in late 2025. Ortiz worked 15 hours a day with one helper, managing permits and construction due to limited funds. Panapolis No. 3, located at 792 E. Julian St., opened in July of this year, converting a space that was previously a Taco Bell and then a ramen restaurant. Ortiz advertised this opening by distributing 5,000 flyers, and the response was overwhelming, with lines lasting three hours and the bakery selling out four times, requiring supplies from his other locations.
The rapid rate at which customers buy out the bakeries highlights the extensive effort required to keep them stocked. Panapolis locations operate from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m., with production restarting an hour after closing. Ortiz stated that most of the day involves 14 to 15 hours of work, producing 40 to 50 different items and selling 4,000 to 5,000 items daily across all locations. Despite the demanding schedule, Ortiz expresses enthusiasm for his work and the stress involved, stating that many people cannot handle it, but he handles it well. His ambitious goal is to open 100 bakeries across California within five years.
The Panapolis Bakery locations in San Jose include Panapolis No. 1 at 784 N. 13th St., Panapolis No. 2 at 1492 Almaden Expressway, Ste A, Panapolis No. 3 at 792 E. Julian St., and the new Panapolis No. 4 at 5469 Snell Ave. All Panapolis locations operate from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m.
