Hispanic Heritage Month & Women’s Small Business Month Series – Cynthia Cifuentes of La Luna Bakery
Q&A Featuring Cynthia Cifuentes of La Luna Bakery
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated each year from Sep. 15 to Oct. 15. October also signifies Women’s Small Business month.
In partnership with Cherokee By Choice investor Georgia Power, COED is honoring Cherokee County’s thriving Hispanic community as well as Cherokee’s numerous female entrepreneurs by sitting down with some of the county’s Latina business owners.
This week we’ll hear from Cynthia Cifuentes. Cynthia has offered authentic Mexican pastries and exceptional customer experience for the past 15+ years in her bakery, La Luna, in Canton, Georgia.
Born in Morelia, Michoacan, Cynthia graduated from the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo as Odontologist. Her passion for Mexican culture and cuisine inspired her to take over her family bakery making her the third-generation business owner.
Follow and share this series on our Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, @cherokeeoed.
What inspired you to start your business?
My grandfather and my dad actually started it in 2002, so we’ve been here for a while.
I took over in 2010 and was inspired by my love for cooking and baking. It’s my passion and my hobby; it’s my stress relief. Now I get to work on it and do it every day.
My grandpa didn’t cook. He was more of the manager for La Luna. My grandma was the cook, and my other grandma was a cook too. I grew up in Mexico, and one of my grandmas was from the country and the other one was from the city. So, I experienced a very mixed kind of baking, and it was all very good. I inherited my recipes from both my grandmas, and we continue their tradition of cooking and baking at La Luna Bakery.
They inspired me because they were always cooking and making people feel comfortable and making people feel good. That’s what I love about cooking – making people happy. When you eat something, or you get a little treat, your day is made. That’s what I love.
How has being in Cherokee County helped grow your business?
Cherokee County is amazing. All the resources and everything that the local authorities do for us are incredibly appreciated.
Ever since I’ve been in Cherokee, people are always reaching out, asking, “What do you need? How can we help you? We’re doing this program, and we want to include you.”
I really love our community, and I love Cherokee County. It’s a really good county to live in, I would not live anywhere else. The community is amazing – it’s a loyal community. We’ve been open for 21 years!
What can we as a community do to continue to support you?
Shop small and support local businesses. Spread the word. Try different things.
People come in the bakery and they’re like, “I see it all the time, but I’ve never been here.” And to that I say, “You need to try it!” Once they stop by, they start coming back more and more.
What advice would you give to other small business owners in Cherokee County?
Work hard and follow your dreams. When you do what you love and you work at something that you love, it comes naturally.
It’s also important to know your customers. Get to know your customers and their needs. Everything has changed in the past twenty-one years. So, we’ve changed too. We have evolved and changed to match our customer’s satisfaction.
Your customers are the ones who are going to tell you what they want. If you don’t listen, they’re going to go somewhere else. If you know what they want and what they need, and you provide a good service, they’re always going to be there – that’s what makes loyal customers.
Sep. 15 – Oct. 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. What does Hispanic Heritage month mean to you as a business owner?
It’s so cool. We get to celebrate our little grain of sand that we put in the community.
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated in a big way. It’s time to celebrate every Hispanic – not only business owners, but doctors, teachers, firefighters, police – everyone.
We get to celebrate us.
October also celebrates Women’s Small Business Month. How is being both a woman and a part of the Hispanic community impacted your decisions and experiences with your business?
It’s challenging, very challenging. The Hispanic community is still trying to adapt to the new role of women in the workplace.
When I first took over La Luna, it was hard. Customers would see me, and they would be like, “Where’s your dad? Where’s your grandpa?” And I’m like, “They’re not here anymore. It’s just me.” They had to get used to it.
You have to impose yourself and be strong about it. It’s been pretty cool getting to see the change in attitude. Now, customers know me, and they ask about my life, they ask how I’m doing.
To learn more about La Luna Bakery, visit them on Facebook and Instagram.