Today we’d like to introduce you to Fernanda De La Parra.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in Tijuana and San Diego. Both of my Grandmas where amazing cooks and bakers. My passion for cooking and baking started since I was little by helping out in the kitchen. My grandma Gail would always come up with new recipes and cook and bake for all of the family. Her famous alfajores de dulce Leche are still to this day my favorite recipe she passed on to me. My grandma Ana showed me how to cook more traditional Mexican cuisine like tamales and buñuelos. Both of them expressed their love through cooking for their whole family. My Mom continued with the tradition of cooking and my Dad opened Pizzerias in Tijuana when I was little. I have fond memories of myself experimenting in the kitchen and making pizza. Cooking and food have a very sentimental value for me because it brings back all of those memories from my childhood.
I studied Culinary Arts in Culinary Art School Tijuana and during that time, I did internships in Sud 777, a fine dining restaurant in Mexico City and Oriol Balaguer, a bakery in Barcelona, Spain. They were amazing internships where I learned so much from their distinct style. My first job was in D bar San Diego as a Pastry Cook. After it’s closing, I worked at Ironside Fish and Oyster as part of their Pastry team. Later on decided to move to LA to work at Vespertine, a fine dining restaurant in Culver City by Chef Jordan Khan. It offered a very unique tasting menu and it only seated 40 people a night. The dessert menu had ingredients like uni and black raspberries. Ingredients that I had not used for a dessert but were quite delicious. After a year and a half of being in LA, I decided it was time for me to go back home. My passion has always been baking classic desserts but with a combination of my fine dining background. I decided to open my own business Digonal Bakeshop in May 2019 in Tijuana. We offer freshly baked pastries with a modern spin, always using different ingredients and changing our menu.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It was not a smooth road. After moving back from LA, I was not sure what I wanted to do. I was even considering trying something new like working front of the house in a Restaurant. But in the end, I started taking orders for my desserts on social media and developed the idea of Diagonal Bakeshop. After a year of doing that, the right opportunity at the right time appeared and I decided to go for it and open my business.
I would advise to take the time you need to develop the idea and also choose the right time and let things develop gradually. Everything takes time and effort when opening a business, but at the end of the day, it is worth it if it’s your passion.
Please tell us about Diagonal Bakeshop.
In Diagonal, we specialize in freshly baked pastries like brioche, alfajores, biscuits, scones and cookies. We take orders for cakes and dessert tables for events. We are mostly known for our alfajores de dulce de leche, we make our own dulce de leche and the cookie is flaky and soft at the same time.
We are proud of being a female-owned business bringing the best quality of product and service to our costumers. What sets us apart is that all of our pastries are artesanal and we are always changing our menu using different ingredients that may not be typical.
Who have you been inspired by?
My two grandmothers and my Mom are my inspiration. They always cooked for the family and were the ones who showed me how to cook when I was little. If it wasn’t for them, I think I wouldn’t be so passionate for what I do.
Contact Info:
- Address: Calle Mocorito 103 Colonia Hipodromo Tijuan BC
- Website: diagonalbakeshop.com
- Phone: 6197487108
- Email: diagonaltj@gmail.com
- Instagram: @diagonalbakeshop
- Facebook: @diagonal.tj
Image Credit:
Diana de la Parra
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