LOUISVILLE, Ky. — We're continuing to introduce you to members of Louisville's Hispanic community during Hispanic Heritage Month.
If you've enjoyed bread from Volare, Mussel and Burger Bar or Havana Rumba, it likely came from the hands of Alonso Lopez and his team at Rosa de Oro.
Lopez said baking bread is his way of giving back to the community.
"Back in Mexico, I think it's kind of hard to start from zero," Lopez said. "Here it's... I won't say it's easier, but if you work hard enough, you can make it."
In 2007, Alonso Lopez opened Rosa de Oro as a Mexican bakery, with sweets, tacos and tortas - but it didn't work out as a standalone business.
"So, we switched directions and went through the restaurant business," he said.
Using contacts from his career as a server, Lopez started selling directly to a few Louisville local favorites, then a few more, and he now provides bread for more than 30 restaurants across the metro.
"I'm pretty sure every Louisvillian, by now, has tried our bread," Lopez said. "But again, they don't realize where it comes from."
When the pandemic came, Lopez pivoted again, using his bakery as a tool to feed people in need.
"We started making loaves of bread to donate to Dare to Care," Lopez said. "I think it was 1000 loaves of bread on a weekly basis. That kept us busy."
Lopez said donations from the community helped to sustain his business, so he didn't have to lay off any of his employees.
A generous entrepreneur, Lopez is focused on digging his family roots deeper in the city of Louisville. While he's filling stomachs with delicious baked goods, he hopes to also inspire others to follow their dreams.
"We are trying to pour positivity into the society," he said. "Influence to the generations coming behind us to just bring positivity and hard work. You can make it if you work hard, you can do anything you want."
Contact reporter Hayley Minogue at hminogue@whas11.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
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