Our story is your story. During tough times and those filled with prosperity, the retail baking industry has advanced through the determination of family businesses dedicated to knowledge of their craft and solid work ethic. We feed the world — and our families — with a smile.

And is there really any greater joy than that?

Your history is our history. And in this issue, which celebrates Sosland Publishing’s 100th anniversary and the changing face of the retail bakery world, we feature a few milestones of the many that our businesses have encountered during the past century. Our hope is that these stories remind us all how much our industry matters and how family has kept us together, growing stronger every year.

Our stories include Porto’s Bakery, which remains a successful family business run by the Porto family. The bakery was founded in 1960 by Rosa, who passed away in December 2019, and her husband Raul Porto Sr. Porto’s Bakery traces its roots to Manzanillo, Cuba, where Rosa worked as a home economics teacher before she began to sell cakes from the family home.

This year, as the COVID-19 pandemic begins to improve and customers return to retail bakeries, Raul Porto Jr. writes, “What an incredible time we are all living through. I cannot remember in the 40 years of helping my mother and family run Porto’s a more challenging time. Over the last few months, my sisters, son, nieces, nephews, and our incredible team have been working tirelessly in our bakeries trying to continue to take care of our guests. During this time of profound uncertainty, which no words will do justice, the Porto’s team has made all efforts to adapt to the constantly evolving situation.”