ESTEVAN — The owners of a new restaurant in downtown Estevan are thrilled with the support of people in the area since the business opened.
Amaya’s Bakery and Cafe launched Aug. 10. Located in the 1200-block of Fourth Street, it has been busy serving up sandwiches, baked goods and coffee to customers. Owned by Anie and Rex Alpuerto, Anie takes care of the baking while Rex works in the kitchen.
They are no strangers to this line of work. In an interview with SaskToday, Anie traced her loved of baking to the work of a famous baker back home in The Philippines.
“It was so delicious and memorable that it inspired me to learn how to bake,” she said. “From then on, I wanted to create cakes that would make people stop, enjoy the moment and remember the taste.”
After that, she decided to attend baking classes and seminars, and started selling her own products.
Her husband came to Canada from The Philippines in 2017, and two years later, Anie arrived. She was looking for a job, and a friend of hers suggested she apply to work at The Rolling Pin Bakery and Cafe in Weyburn. She started as a cashier. When the owner decided to sell the company, the Alpuertos purchased the business.
“I was so happy when she thought of me, so I grabbed the opportunity,” Anie said. “I was so happy that my dream of owning a bakery was finally coming true, so we took the opportunity. That was in 2021.”
A partnership for owning the business didn't work out, she said, so the couple decided to move on. The Rolling Pin closed earlier this year, and Anie said they missed having their business.
“We were so emotional when we said good-bye to our customers, but their kind words and encouragement gave us the courage to continue.”
A friend suggested opening a new business at a vacant property in downtown Estevan, and they loved the location right away. They decided to move to Estevan and set up Amaya’s.
“We were looking for a fresh start in a place where our bakery could grow. The opportunity in Estevan came up. We really liked the location and the community, so we grabbed it right away.”
Downtown Estevan has a beautiful look now that the revitalization in the 1100 and 1200 blocks of Fourth Street is complete, she said, and they thought the new bakery would fit in nicely. Being in downtown gives them a chance to be part of the community, and they hope they can help bring more people to the downtown area.
The business is named for the couple’s daughter Amaya, who will turn two years old Sept. 6. Anie noted they decided to wait 15 years before she was born.
“Our daughter, she represents hope, faith and never giving up, because with the Rolling Pin Bakery and Cafe in Weyburn, when we lost it, we didn’t give up, we continued to have faith that we will get our new bakery,” said Anie.
Amaya’s serves lunches, cakes, pastries, baked goods and coffee. Chicken paninis are their specialty, she said. They've been trying to keep the menu a little smaller so they can provide high-quality foods from the start. As they become more established in the community, they look forward to expanding their offerings and daily specials.
The couple is extremely grateful” for the support of the community since the business opened, she said. Everything they put in the bakery case during the first week sold out, and the demand has surpassed their expectations. Their first day was billed as a “soft opening”, but Anie said she’s not sure if that was the case because “it wasn’t really very soft", she said with a laugh.
