La Gran Via Bakery at 78-14 Roosevelt Ave. (Photo: QueensPost)
Jan. 24, 2019 By Meghan Sackman
A Cuban bakery opened on Roosevelt Avenue earlier this week offering traditional pastries, sandwiches and specialty cakes.
The eatery, called La Gran Via Bakery, is located at 78-14 Roosevelt Ave. and is owned and operated by two siblings who worked in their parents’ Cuban bakery as kids.
Betsey Leites and Roy Leyva were raised in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, where they worked at their parents’ and grandfather’s bakery—also called La Gran Via Bakery. That bakery, located at 45-16 5th Ave., has been open for 41-years ago, and the siblings grew up in an apartment above the store.
The pair wanted to branch out and decided to open a second family store. They picked Jackson Heights, attracted to the diversity of its residents.
The establishment takes on a family feel, with old pictures of the siblings’ parents working at the Sunset Park eatery on the wall.
The bakery offers traditional Cuban pastries and sandwiches, such as a Medianoche—a pressed sandwich served on a sweet roll with ham, cheese, roasted pork and pickles. It also offers Dominican, Puerto Rican and Mexican baked goods.
Most of the items are baked or prepared at the Sunset Park location and are shipped over twice a day.
But Leites said that they also put a great deal of emphasis on their cakes.
“We customize cakes for any special occasion. I design cakes for each individual customer, how they want it,” Leites said.
The bakery takes over the space that was formerly occupied by Top Shoes. It does not offer seating. However, there are tall tables for customers to eat their pastries and drink coffee.
The bakery offers an array of Central and South American coffee.
“In this bakery we specialize in coffee,” Leites said. “Espresso, cortadito, cafe con leche…We only make Spanish coffee in our bakeries.”
Leites said that the eatery is off to a good start. ““Everyone has been overly nice with us… It’s actually really awesome.”
The bakery is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
There will be a grand opening event this Saturday at 2 p.m.
Cakes on Display at La Gran Via Bakery at 78-14 Roosevelt Ave. (Photo: QueensPost)
