Gustavo Colina and his mother, Luisa Colina, opened La Tia Bakery at 7782 Montgomery Avenue in Elkins Park (Cheltenham Township) in mid-November.
La Tia (Spanish for “aunt”) was named after Luisa, Gustavo said, noting that the family-owned shop has been a long time coming.
“It’s my mom’s business. All the grandkids and nephews are helping out, including my son. She had this idea for a long time. People were always asking for her flan and tres leches, so we decided to make a business out of it,” he said. “The recipes come from what my mom has learned over the years from many different influences.”
Gustavo is a former resident of Cheltenham Township. Some of the Colinas now live in Philadelphia, others in Elkins Park. They are a mixture of Venezuelan, Argentinian, and Puerto Rican heritages, among others, Gustavo told Glenside Local.
The new shop is open three days a week to accommodate the Colina matriarch, who is 73 and retired.
“We’re trying to make sure she doesn’t overwork herself. People have been coming in and trying it out, so that’s a good thing,” Gustavo said. “We’re also now serving chocoflan, which is chocolate with the flan. We’re making fresh cookies, empanadas, and we’re working on creating more flavors. We also want to make bread as well.”
“I love my family. It’s a dream come true,” Luisa said. “It’s been a long time that we’ve wanted to do this.”
To help spread the word, La Tia hosted a pop-up bakery with free samples during Elkins Park’s “Whoville” celebration on December 13.
“A lot of people said they loved it. My son told me everyone was really happy with the food,” Gustavo said. “Our goal is to get to know people and let them know we’re there.”
La Tia Bakery is the former home of DeeGrace Kitchen, which closed over the summer. Before that, it was the home of Frank’s Pizza.
Hours:
- Thurs 12-8 PM
- Fri 12-8 PM
- Sat 12-8 PM
For more on La Tia Bakery, you can visit their website, Tiktok page and Instagram page.
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Photos: Gustavo Colina