CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE
GREENFIELD — In August 2001, La Plaza Bakery opened its doors in Greenfield, in the heart of downtown, at the corner of Oak and El Camino. Last summer the bakery entered its 17th year. Thanks to the support of its customers, the bakery has found its place in the Greenfield community and has become “the place to go” in Greenfield.
The unique, bright red building is one of the largest retail bakeries in Monterey County. Recently, the 4,500-square-foot building added a rustic dining area called “The El Camino Room.” The new addition offers an attractive, relaxing place to have some coffee, have lunch or do some reading. Customers can also use the free Wi-Fi while having a tasty meal.
The goal for the El Camino Room was to provide a comfortable space for customers. Like many small towns across America, with Greenfield being no exception, the bakery aimed to provide a place residents could visit frequently as part of a local’s daily routine.
In almost every small town, there is a place people can go and spend time. Usually, it’s a family-owned diner or a donut shop or even a fast-food restaurant.
Small town residents are usually looking for a place to talk, a place to “people watch,” to catch up on unfounded rumors and share anger at the national debt until their coffee gets cold. Every town needs a place like this. It gives people a place to go, a place to feel connected.
La Plaza Bakery and its new dining area help provide a special place, with its 13-foot-high glass window that looks out to El Camino Real and the bakery’s brick sidewalk and rustic planters. It’s a reminder of how certain places, whether it’s a bakery or a restaurant, can contribute to a community’s identity.
But more important, it can serve as a point for conversation, a gathering place and maybe provide a sense of belonging.
La Plaza Bakery is a full-service bakery and cafe, offering a wide variety of Mexican pastries and Mexican food, as well as varied danish and croissants. The establishment has a cafeteria set-up where you order, have a seat and wait for your number to be called. Built in 2001, the bakery was custom designed by a New Mexico architect, a close friend of the family ownership, who wanted a bakery that, through its design and space, would become a great addition to the community.
The bakery is part of the La Plaza Bakeries located in the Salinas Valley, with three locations in Salinas and one each in Gonzales and Soledad.
In November, the expansion into King City will begin and is scheduled to last six months for the newest La Plaza Bakery. Located on the eastern end of Broadway Street, the bakery hopes to find its place in King City.
