She was left to fend for herself and three children: Betty, Raul Jr., and Margarita. His wife Rosa, an office manager at the cigar company, also lost her job. lost his job at a cigar distribution warehouse. When Fidel Castro rose to power in Cuba, Raul Sr. Taking charge is at the heart of the Porto family legacy. “We want to control our destiny,” Porto said. The deal allowed them to build a modern restaurant and café from the ground up. In Buena Park, the family snapped up an empty 3-acre Beach Boulevard parcel made available when state redevelopment funds dried up a few years ago. In Burbank, parking was such a huge problem, the family bought another building nearby just so they could add 27 more spaces for guests. In Downey, they bought the property, building the store and two-story parking structure behind the Firestone Boulevard cafe. That allows them to control rent and parking. “We were looking for years in Orange County,” Porto said.Īs they’ve grown, Porto said they’ve vowed to own their property. Consumer demand is why they are expanding to Buena Park and West Covina – to accommodate the masses traveling to their packed Los Angeles cafes.

Last year, Yelp named Porto’s bakery the best restaurant in the country based on positive reviews. “That sells more than anything,” Porto said. In January, BuzzFeed called it a “flavor explosion,” which triggered a host of orders. Right now, thanks to BuzzFeed, one of the bakery’s hottest sellers is the Milk ’N Berries cake - a twist on a classic Tres Leches but more indulgent, filled with fresh berries and iced with whipped cream. Word of mouth recommendations have made Porto’s a household name in the greater Los Angeles area many customers have been coming for decades.īut in recent years, the family has been caught off guard by a new legion of fans: millennials. We want to respect their pockets,” Porto said. Porto, who studied law in college, said she and her siblings are tough negotiators.īut not because they seek personal profits. The company uses its buying power to keep prices low. They sell 1.5 million cheese rolls and 600,000 potato balls a month. The three cafes serve 4.5 million customers a year. With top-notch ingredients and high labor costs, how does Porto’s keep its prices so low? Frosting is made with the Belgian chocolate and tarts are topped with pristine ripened fruits.

Her mother, from the very beginning, would not skimp on quality. Only the finest ingredients are used, Porto said. Behind the scenes are teams of bakers, cake designers, pastry chefs and grill cooks cranking out hundreds of scratch foods in a fast-paced environment. On peak Saturdays, up to 40 workers at the front of the house keep lines moving, tables clean and displays filled with eye-popping pastries. The latter is often the longest line it’s the only spot where you can buy any item off the vast menu – from guava strudels to tiramasu cakes and grilled sandwiches. Like Downey, Buena Park will have four different order stations: an express lane for top selling pastries, a pre-order pick up counter, a coffee bar and a bakery line. In such a dense tourist zone, Porto expects the cafe to be one of the chain’s highest volume stores. location near Knott’s Berry Farm is a new frontier for the brand. Buena Park will look similar– only bigger – at nearly 25,000 square feet. When Downey opened in 2010, the family designed it to minimize wait times. The commissary helps prevent gridlock at the three stores. Several years ago, the company opened a test kitchen in Commerce, where bakers tweak recipes and create new menu items. Though fans say Porto’s is worth the wait, the family-run operation is constantly evolving to maximize efficiency. “It’s like a shepherd’s pie in a ball,” Battle, 49, said. The original menu item is stuffed with soft mashed potatoes and seasoned ground beef. Sitting in the Porto’s patio on a recent Wednesday, she and her daughter Shawnta are sharing a half-dozen potato balls. By the time she orders, she hardly notices the wait. “When people come in, the biggest complaint we get is they don’t know what to do,” Porto said.įor Kim Battle, the line tends to go quickly because the Lakewood resident said she’s always “preoccupied” with the countless choices behind the counter. The crowds can be intimidating, but they’re reeled in by something sweet - the intoxicating aromas of freshly baked goods.īetty Porto, whose mom baked cakes while living in communist Cuba in the 1960s, said front-door greeters help guests figure out where to queue. In Downey, the café’s second largest after Buena Park, employees look like Secret Service agents – armed with ear buds and walkie talkies.Īs diners enter the 17,000-square-foot café, lines snake in different directions.

Portos fruit tart