• Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Your neighborhood. Your News.

newsMilwaukee NNSMilwaukee NNSSearch
Subscribe to NNS today!
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
    • Arts and Recreation
    • Community
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Health and Wellness
    • Housing
    • Public Safety
    • NNS Spotlight
    • Special Report
  • Posts From Community
    • Submit a Story
  • Community Voices
  • How To
  • Multimedia
    • NNS Local Video
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect
    • NNS WGLB 1560 Radio
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • About
    • Staff
    • Partners
    • News 414
    • The neighborhoods we cover
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Diederich College of Communication, Marquette University

You are here: Home / Home / Carousel / Legendary Mexican bakery to reopen on Lincoln Avenue

Legendary Mexican bakery to reopen on Lincoln Avenue

February 13, 2016 by Sophia Boyd 3 Comments

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Señor José Lopez is known for being the first authentic Mexican baker in Milwaukee.

Señor José Lopez is known for being the first authentic Mexican baker in Milwaukee.

At one point, José Lopez, 84, owned three bakeries in Milwaukee, one in Waukesha and another in Racine. Lopez, who came to the United States 49 years ago, opened the first traditional Mexican bakeries in Milwaukee during the 1970s.

Over time, all but two of the bakeries — one at 1100 W. Historic Mitchell St. and the other in Racine — closed down.

Now, Jeanette Martin and her father, Adolfo Martin, Lopez’s friend and client, plan to reopen the previous location that closed down 10 years ago at 1601 W. Lincoln Ave. Jeanette Martin, 26, was inspired by travel to cities such as New York and Los Angeles to go beyond traditional Mexican fare.

“I’ve had an influence in describing to my dad and to Señor Lopez the things that I have seen as someone that’s first generation to this country and someone that has had the privilege to travel,” she said.

Jeanette Martin plans to offer vegetarian and organic menu items such as tacos and burritos in addition to traditional baked goods such as pan de dulce. She is also looking into buying coffee from fair trade companies such as Just Coffee Cooperative in Madison.

Lopez Bakery and Café on Lincoln Avenue will be reopening up this month, 10 years after the original bakery closed.

Lopez Bakery and Café on Lincoln Avenue will be reopening up this month, 10 years after the original bakery closed.

Lopez came from generations of bakers in his native country. He said in Spanish that his family was completely dedicated to baking.

“I didn’t go to school very much because the only thing I wanted to do was make bread with my family,” he said.

Jeanette Martin, who has a background in art education, wants the bakery to benefit the artistic community. “There’s not enough spaces for local artists to exhibit their artwork and especially artists that are more embedded in the community,” she said.

The bakery will have a rotating art gallery hung on the bright orange and green walls painted with familiar Latino symbols such as the Day of the Dead skeleton and corn.

“I feel like I haven’t been in such a colorful space in a long time,” she said. “So, bringing more color and culture and bringing [murals] into the space … we don’t see that enough.”

She took charge of the design and layout of the bakery last summer. The first gallery consists of old photographs of Lopez baking bread.

“We can’t start without honoring the work of our people,” Jeanette Martin said. “I wanted to make sure that people could see (Lopez’s) legacy.”

The young woman added that she, her father and Lopez are lucky to be in the heart of Lincoln Village. “We hope that the bakery is a safe place and that the city, police and everybody support us,” Adolfo Martin said in Spanish.

Jeanette Martin said that it was hard to find bakers who already knew how to bake Mexican bread. They just hired one last weekend.

“It was almost like knowledge that needed to be passed down from one baker to another,” she said. “We’ve lost the tradition of making traditional Mexican baked goods.”

“Man cannot live without ‘pan’ (bread),” Lopez said. “But the pan cannot live without man either.”

The Lopez Bakery is expected to have a “soft” opening on Saturday, Feb. 13.

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin

Filed Under: Carousel, Community, Home, Lincoln Village, Neighborhoods, News, South

Avatar

About Sophia Boyd

Comments

  1. AvatarSuzanne Nissen says

    February 13, 2016 at 5:59 pm

    OLA HOW COOL XXOO

    Reply
  2. AvatarElaine Lovett says

    February 14, 2016 at 12:26 am

    Any gluten free offerings?

    Reply
    • AvatarEmilio Lopez says

      February 15, 2016 at 6:30 am

      Yes we will be offering gluten free products. All organic ingredints. Please stop by on 16th and Lincoln and pay us a visit!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Top Stories

Advertisement

How To …

How residents 65 and older can register for a coronavirus vaccine

Vaccines will be available for those 65 and older as part of Phase 1B of the distribution plan.

More "How To" articles

Advertisement

Recommended Reading

A Vaccine Reality Check

The Atlantic

UWM study on the state of Black Milwaukee describes the city as ‘the epitome of a 21st century racial regime’

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Videos Show How Federal Officers Escalated Violence in Portland

The New York Times

These mayors want to fight Covid-19 and the recession with one big idea: A guaranteed income

Vox

The World John Lewis Helped Create

The Atlantic

News

  • Arts and Recreation
  • Economic Development
  • Education
  • Health and Wellness
  • Housing
  • Public Safety
  • NNS Spotlight
  • Special Reports
  • Multimedia
    • NNS Videos
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect Radio

Engage with us

  • Posts from Community
  • Community Voices
  • Submit a Story

About NNS

  • Staff
  • Partners
  • News414
  • The neighborhoods we cover
  • Internship opportunities
  • Careers
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS feed

Communities

Contact

mailing address
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Diederich College of Communication
Marquette University
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Johnston Hall 430
Milwaukee, WI 53233

email
info@milwaukeenns.org

phone & fax
PHONE: 414.604.6397 FAX: 414.288.6494

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is a project of Diederich College of Communication and Marquette University.
© 2020 Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Terms of use.
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee WI 53233 • info@milwaukeenns.org

Copyright © 2021 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in