One of 'America's best bakeries' opens its doors in Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Every weekend, you can find people lined up on Retro Row in Long Beach to get their hands on a loaf of Gusto Bread.

"We're pandería orgánica," said co-owner Arturo Enciso. "It's just a new experience of an organic bakery with Latin-inspired goods."

Enciso and his partner Ana Salatino opened up shop on Fourth Street in August, but their journey started back in 2013.

"I taught myself to bake seven years ago in this little woodfired oven that was on a property that I lived at," Enciso said. "That just changed my life. I just felt like I had a purpose to be a baker."

The duo took advantage of California's Cottage Food Law, transforming the living room in their Wilmore home into a bakery in 2017.

Gusto Bread garnered a loyal following. Food & Wine named the Long Beach spot one of America's top 100 bakeries.

In 2019, the bakers said they started making plans to take Gusto Bread to the next level. Despite the pandemic, Enciso and Salatino wanted to open up a brick-and-mortar shop by summer 2020.

"There was a period where it was the pandemic, we were busier than we've ever been out of our house and we were trying to build a storefront," Enciso said. "It was pretty wild."

Earlier this year, the couple asked for the community's support, raising more than $35,000 in a crowdfunding campaign.

Enciso said the community continued to show its support once Gusto Bread officially opened in August.

"It's been more than we expected," he said. "Our opening weekend was crazy. We had lines down the block and some were waiting over an hour."

Gusto Bread is open Friday through Sunday and offers pre-orders Wednesday and Thursday. The bakery is located at 2710 E 4th Street, Long Beach, CA.

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