Today we’d like to introduce you to David Diaz.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m from the Caribbean, that’s the truth, I have Italian blood in my veins, I’m an engineer by profession, triathlete by passion, baker by love. I grew up with my grandmothers, who cooked very well. My maternal grandmother made arepas (one of the most representative dishes of my country), and my paternal grandmother cooked deliciously and spoiled me a lot; I still remember her unique dishes and flavors. During my stay in Europe, my passion for bread grew; in France, it is common to see people eating a baguette in the middle of the street; in Italy, everything is eaten with bread; in Germany, I knew the spelled rye, among others.
My paternal grandparents were bakers (I did not know them), my brothers had a bakery in Venezuela, and I have been cooking all my life since I became independent and lived alone. I arrived in the USA in 2018, and on my first Christmas, I sold ham bread, which was very traditional at that time. I worked in a bakery; I asked the owner to make bread as sourdough, and his answer was, here we will make money, not sourdough; until that day, I worked there.
Since 2018 I made bread in my house, and then I moved to a garage with a bigger oven, 2022 because of the growth, I started looking for a commercial location; it wasn’t easy, but it came on June 17, 2023, Pan Pa Venezuela opened its doors to the public, full of all the love and good bread.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Migrating and starting a business from scratch in another country is undoubtedly a challenge. I never had doubts. I visualized it and worked very hard for it, there were many obstacles, but I never lost my way, many good people around me were complicit in this project, long hours of work day and night, long waits for permits, remodeling, machinery, it was really proof that if I really wanted it that was the price I had to pay.
It has been a challenge to conquer the North American palate; our public has been very receptive to our creations, and they give us the best every day to bring the best artisan bread to their tables.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We create pieces of artisan bread every day, all our breads are made with natural sourdough, our breads are fermented for more than 24, 36 and up to 48 hours, we do not use chemical additives and we use top quality raw materials.
Our goal is to rescue good bread, bring quality products to the table, rescue the value of this ancient food, honor good food and show that we can consume healthy and nutritious bread for our body.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
We have learned a lot in these years. Contact with bakers from all over the world has shown me the humility of the union. Bakers from all over Europe, Australia, and Latin America have done their part to cultivate our knowledge, and we have created an incredible work team, which day after day delivers the best so that the bread meets the demands. Artisanal bread is more current than ever, and Pan Pa Venezuela is committed to rescuing it, defending it, and bringing it to the tables of all of Texas.
Pricing:
- Croissant $5.50
- Sourdough bread $8.0
- Sweet bread $9.0
- Nutella rolls $4.5
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/panpavzla/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/panpavzla/
- Other: https://maps.app.goo.gl/GteNAhLyUKnRP7v37
Image Credits
Alex Velasquez
