Salvadorean Bakery: Nearly Three Decades of Delivering Sweets and Building Community

by Soumya Gupta

For almost three decades, Ana Castro and Aminta Elgin have presented White Center and larger Seattle with sweet treats and Salvadoran-based food from the Salvadorean Bakery and Restaurant, and in the process, built a close-knit, welcoming community.

Sisters Castro and Elgin started Salvadorean Bakery in 1996, 28 years ago, after migrating to Seattle from El Salvador in 1982, hoping to find a sense of belonging in a new country through a shared love for food.

Their interest in baking can be traced to their grandmother, who owned a small backyard bakery in the house they grew up in. Castro and Elgin hail from a family of bakers and cooks and often found themselves surrounded by food and helping to create new dishes. Since their arrival in Seattle, Castro said, they were always on the lookout for an opportunity to share their culture with the city. After multiple jobs, it seemed natural they would start a bakery.

"When we first arrived here, there weren't too many Salvadorans in the city, and so we were one of the very first Salvadoran restaurants in Seattle," Castro said. "It was quite difficult initially, because we felt that the community didn't understand a new cuisine, and it took time for us to build a foundation."

Castro said that they initially offered a small line of pastries and cakes, which was headed by Elgin. As they saw increased interest in their food, they expanded their business to serve popular Salvadoran street food, mainly pupusas, a thick flatbread made of cornmeal and rice flour and served with salsa.

Eventually, they continued to build on their menu by adding Salvadoran specialities, and are now known for their cakes, pupusas, and horchata, a traditional Hispanic beverage made with rice and spices.

Castro added that their recipe for horchata is unique, calling for toasted rice, cinnamon, and a special ingredient sourced from El Salvador — morro seeds. Salvadorean Bakery also offers a variety of cultural homestyle and street food like tamales, quesadillas, and elotes.

"We're well known for our tres leches cakes, which are milk-based cakes and can be paired with multiple fruits," Castro said. "They're very popular here, and we often receive catering orders for our cakes and pupusas." According to her, they are always on the lookout to bring more items onto the menu, and often take time with customers to understand their interest in their food.

Looking back on the last 28 years, Elgin said that their journey has been a mixed bag with multiple ups and downs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they faced difficulties sourcing ingredients internationally and had to overcome staffing problems as they struggled to understand the local language.

Over those years they have received significant help from their family, especially their children, who actively participate in the bakery's day-to-day operations. Being a legacy business, she said, they have received a lot of love from the community and have actively been a part of celebrating Salvadoran culture in the city.

"We've been accepted so well in the community because most of our customers have also grown with our business," Elgin said. "We have people who came to us when we first opened, and continue to be regulars almost 28 years later — we even know most of their children now."

Building Salvadorean Bakery has been more than just celebrating their culture in a new city, but also about supporting their community back home. Elgin said they often visit El Salvador and have witnessed rural communities growing over the last few years. The sisters said they connect most with children back home, and bring back groceries and other items to help support them, as many live and have grown up without families.

Recently, Elgin started a nonprofit organization called Cipotes Sonriendo Foundation, which aims to support and facilitate sports and other needs for underprivileged children across Seattle, Washington State, and El Salvador.

"Meeting people is probably the best part about running Salvadorean Bakery," Elgin said. "Over the years, we've created such a strong-knit community with many neighboring local businesses and community members, that we feel like we belong here now."

Elgin said they plan to open a second location in Burien soon and hope to expand their business by serving multiple coffee-based beverages in addition to their existing line of pastries and street food.

📸 Featured Image: Ana Castro, founder of Salvadorean Bakery, outside the store which has become a fixture in White Center in nearly three decades. (Photo courtesy of Salvadorean Bakery)