If you haven’t been in the Acapulco Mexican Bakery lately, you might be surprised.
An entire remodel and reorganization of the 1,200 square foot store has turned the one-time prominent West Liberty Mexican bakery into a small Latino grocery store where patrons can find all kinds of items from fresh produce to meats as well as classic Mexican bakery items and more.
Benji Garcia, who runs the business with his wife, Guadalupe, said the remodel took place in April right after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and he claims it was good timing, noting business is better than ever today.
The store closed for four days to take on the remodel that included new flooring, a new fresh-look inside paint job, the installation of a meat counter, new shelving, the building and installation of display cabinets for baked goods, refrigeration and more.
Open every day of the week from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., AMB has revitalized its business that has grown to have a reputation for some of the best baked Mexican goods in the area, built off hard-working traits the Garcia family brought from Mexico, where parents Vincente Garcia and Maria Gonzalez learned about business.
How it all started
With his father in the bakery business in Mexico, he brought to America some of the same recipes, getting into business first in West Liberty after a stint in the fast-food industry. They bought the bakery business from the late Able Torrez, a family friend, in 2009 and eventually bought a Mexican grocery business at 197 Keokuk Avenue in Iowa City in September 2011, calling it Acapulco Bakery II.
Bringing their three sons, Alex, Christian and Benji, into the business, the family expanded to a second store in Iowa City that is operated by Christian while Alex has taken the lead role at the main store in Iowa City, which is much larger than the West Liberty business. It includes a large bakery that supplies goods to other stores in Eastern Iowa including Cedar Rapids and the Quad-Cities.
Benji says he’s learned by doing in becoming a professional butcher behind the meat counter, gaining a quick reputation for his Arrachera skirt steak, a tenderized beef that is popular in the Latino community for grilling and parties. “I truly like working with meat,” he said, noting he’s willing to do his best to keep his customers coming back.
“I like interacting with people,” he said, noting he helps customers plan parties and other events and said, every now and then, he even gets invited to an event.
Features Mexican favorites
He said although the store is small, it carries a lot of popular Mexican favorites, from fresh produce like avocados, peppers and bananas, to Mexican-made candies, snacks, taco shells, pasta, beans, rice and even canned goods.
“These are things you’d typically find in a Latino household,” he said. “We have things you typically can’t find in a big supermarket.”
He said many non-Latino customers are finding the store, noting they get hooked on certain spices or cooking tastes and then learn they can find those ingredients in the downtown West Liberty store that is located next to the American Legion Post on North Calhoun Street. He said customers who ask for a specific item they may not have might find it the next time they’re in the store or he’ll get it for them from the Iowa City store.
The Garcia’s said the West Liberty store has limited space, but the family hopes to continue to grow the business and would love to add Mexican ice cream in the future.
Benji Garcia said although the baked goods aren’t made fresh in West Liberty any longer with the ovens being moved to Iowa City, they are naked fresh and shipped daily to the West Liberty store, where locals use tongs to pick out their favorite items..
He said Mexican breads are different from their American competition, including many that have a sweeter taste, the most popular a hard loaf known as lonche. They also have a reputation for cheese cakes and sheet cakes and can even create cakes for special occasions.
Benji said the model has worked well for the family, all of which are still involved including the parents. “It’s kind of been our special thing,” Benji said.
