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| Delia and Andre Perez
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Once a small fishing village, San
Pedro has endured several industries, namely the coconut industry,
fishing industry and now the tourism industry. Many may not know this but
there is one specific business on our island that can be considered an
industry of its own. This happens when you take a raw material and after
various processes it is converted into a product. It is fairly safe to
say that this process in its own is an industry. This is the case of one
San Pedro business that, under the good management of its owners, has
flourished into one of the most prominent enterprises of La Isla Bonita.
This week, Our Community is pleased to feature Mrs. Delia and Mr. Andre
Perez of La Popular
Bakery.
This couple has been in San Pedro for a fairly short
time but has made a significant impact on our community. Delia was born
and raised in Belize City and Andre was born in Orange Walk. He then
moved to Belize City to pursue his high school and junior college
education. While in school, the couple met and fell in love. After
graduating from their respective fields, the two moved to Andre's
birthplace and made their home, eventually marrying in 1982. Each of them
commenced work; Andre as a Systems Analyst at the Belize Bank in Orange
Walk and Delia as a teacher at the Orange Walk Technical High School.
Soon after, this working couple started a family, which now consists of
two lovely girls, Samira (10) and Alexya (4). The Perez's felt they had
achieved the dream every couple wishes for: a happy family, a
secure job and a comfortable living. But soon their lives
would take a ninety degree turn, with the Perez's making decisions that
would change their lives.
A friend of the family (Ariel Santana, owner of La Popular Bakery in
Belize City) approached Andre during a reunion and proposed a franchise
of his business in San Pedro. Manelly's Bakery in San Pedro was being
sold and his friend Ariel firmly believed that there was still great
potential for this market in San Pedro. Andre was skeptical about this
idea, having absolutely zero experience in this field. They flew to San
Pedro to look over the business and after much perseverance and
persuasion from his friend, Andre was convinced to go for it. "It was a
great risk I was taking. All my immediate family was against it except
for my father. But what counted most was that I had the full support of
Delia and that meant a lot to me," explained Andre. Both Mr. and Mrs.
Perez gave notice to their employers and Mrs. Perez went the extra mile
to secure a job in San Pedro by applying for a teacher's job at Lydia's
Institute of Fine Education (LIFE).
On July
9 th, 1997, the Perez's
arrived in San Pedro and after many days of intense work, La Popular San
Pedro opened its doors to the public. Their location (the same one as
today in downtown San Pedro) was only a small space. "To expand we had to
break down our apartment to make room. At the beginning it was tough, but
we knew that we had to make a lot of sacrifices to be able to enjoy the
fruits of our business," commented Andre. Delia had to leave her job at
LIFE since she also had to devote tireless hours helping her husband
ensure the business' success. The business began with five employees plus
Andre packing, cutting and delivering the orders. After only six months
their demands grew and the number of employees rose to eight. Ironically
after the threat of Hurricane Mitch, they realized that the population of
San Pedro was much higher than was previously estimated and the demand
for their products was growing as well. The Perez's knew that to be able
to meet these needs, expansion would be
necessary.
In January of 1999, they purchased a lot in the Boca
del Rio Area and started the construction of a new and improved bakery.
On November 22 nd,
1999, this dream became a reality. Their new location to the north is
very convenient to the residents of that area and to persons traveling to
their homes on that part of the island. Their downtown store is still
open for their customers on the southern end. Today, La Popular Bakery
employs a total of sixteen full-time and five part-time workers. They
continue to introduce new baked goods and even offer wholesale prices to
interested businesses. With the large assortment of goods, it is
difficult to pin-point a favorite, but their cinnamon rolls, bread
sticks, garlic bread and the classic "capricho" seem to be the most
popular. To complement these goodies they will be introducing a variety
of cold meats and dairy products soon. The new location is open daily
from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00
p.m.
In closing, Mr. Perez told the San
Pedro Sun, "I can't stress enough the importance of how
much we value the support we have received from the people of this
island. We have to keep up with the growing pace of San Pedro. We are
also fully aware of the fact that this island is extremely health
conscious, so we only use the best and finest ingredients in our
goods."
Delia and Andre Perez took a chance and left their home and careers to
start a business in San Pedro. They have proven that the family that
works together, stays together and eventually succeeds. Their products
are an every day necessity in our homes and have become the newest
industry in Our Community.
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