Pan Pan, the Mexican-Japanese bakery taking Texas and TikTok by storm

A small storefront in Dalworthington Gardens, Texas has become a viral phenomenon. Its name is Pan Pan Bakery (a moniker that means “bread” in both Spanish and Japanese) and its mission goes far beyond pastries. The establishment brings together two millennia-old traditions hailing from Mexico and Japan, in a space where bread, culture and migrant identity are effortlessly interwoven.

On its shelves, matcha conchas made with Japanese shokupan co-exist with ramune sodas and Mexican Coca-Cola, and its coffee drinks made from Chiapas beans intermingle with house beverages like horchata with green tea. “We wanted to offer something authentic, something that spoke to our roots and at the same time, to our experiences here,” explains its founder Laura Molinar, a 21-year-old Latina, as she shows off the molds she imported from Japan to bake pan de leche in the exact shape of a sokupan.

Beyond its culinary influences, Pan Pan is also nurtured by a philosophy that Laurita (as she introduces herself in the cafe’s viral videos), brought home with her from a trip to Japan this summer. There, under the guidance of a tea master, she learned about the ceremony that brings matcha to life. “She taught me the deep cultural impact of tea ceremonies in Japan, and how it represents a profound connection and respect between one human to another through the preparation of matcha,” she wrote on Instagram. The instructor told her about the Ichigo Iche (一期一会) philosophy, which translates to “for this time only”, expressing how every encounter, every cup of tea, every moment, is unique and will never come again. “That lesson changed me. It is why in Pan Pan, every matcha is beat by hand, to order, to maintain the integrity of the ritual and the significance behind it,” she explains.

She works at the small location unceasingly, patiently kneading and baking. But it’s all been worth it. The bakery’s posts on social media have reached millions of views and it’s become a consistently viral account. She once mainly sold bread to her neighbors, but now the young Latina entrepreneur has hours-long lines at the door of her business, with clientele coming from different cities to try the famous matcha concha. These days, they sell more than 2,000 units a day.

From Mexico to the world

Success runs in the family. The daughter of Mexican migrants originally from Chihuahua, Molinar acknowledges that her parents’ support has been a decisive factor in her rise. With growing demand for her business’s wares, workload has also increased, and her mother has quit her job to join the team. At more than 20 employees, Pan Pan Bakery has not only become a prosperous business, but also a space for work and community. “My concept, my love, my passion is making pastries. Some day I want to bring it to the entire United States,” Molinar says.

The café located on 2110 Roosevelt Drive, suite A, Dalworthington Gardens, is full of symbols that connect its Latino community to its roots: trays and tongs to serve bread like the ones in local bakeries in Mexico, use of artisanal ceramics from Mexican workshops to support craftspeople, and pillows in the form of conchas and marranitos that evoke Mexican childhood. All alongside Japanese elements like collectable Sonny Angels figures, which adorn the walls and racks of imported Japanese sodas.

Its mission has been embraced by the Latino community. Texas, with nearly 12 million Hispanics, is today a laboratory of mixed heritage, and its gastronomy has become the most visible aspect of this transformation. Tacos, burritos, quesadillas and elotes are already part of the Tex-Mex cuisine found in chain restaurants, local taquerias and food trucks around the country. And now, Pan Pan Bakery is part of that panorama, bringing Mexican food to a new level of fusion and creativity.

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