2 minute read
Sweet 60: Dianda’s Bakery surpasses big milestone
Gracia Shao-Xue
Sixty years later, the legacy of Enrichetta and Elio Dianda continues to shine.
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Dianda's Bakery, initially opened in the heart of the Mission District and later in San Mateo, supplies traditional Italian baked goods to customers new and old. Their San Francisco location opened in 1962, where they showcased their family recipes from Lucca, Italy.
The Dianda couple had three sons who continued the legacy by opening a second location in San Mateo. In 2003, the family passed on the business to Floyd Goldberg, Sergio Flores, and Luis Peña, who were dedicated employees at the time.
Although the Diandas no longer own the bakery, these three have shown commitment and dedication as if they were part of the family. They pride themselves on their traditional Italian recipes and fresh-baked products.
"Baking and production are all done at 3 a.m. at the flagship store in San Francisco. At 6 a.m., a delivery truck delivers all the baked goods sold for the day in San Mateo, so the cases are filled when customers come in," said Janet Peña, an employee at Dianda's Bakery.
Naturally, the flagship store sells double what the San Mateo location sells, but both have their regulars. Often, Peña sees the same people coming in at the same time every day, especially for a coffee and pastry breakfast before work.
The main factor that keeps these regulars coming back and new customers coming in is the traditional Italian goods that have remained a constant at the bakery since its opening.
"The customer favorites are the Napoleon cake, cannolis, and other traditional Italian desserts. These are popular because they are not sold in many other places, especially utilizing recipes passed down from generation to generation," Peña said.
While Dianda's Bakery does not dabble much with its selection, they have added unique cultural flavors.
"Over the years, we have incorporated modernly loved flavors such as red velvet, black forest, and tres leches. Our selection has remained relatively constant since the opening of Dianda's except for these flavors," Peña said.
Another contributing factor to the bakery's longstanding popularity lies in the staff.
As the San Mateo location's most senior staff, Peña reflects on a day in her life working at Dianda's.
"Every Saturday, I wake up early to open the bakery at 6 a.m. The day is filled with customer service, mainly talking to people about flavors and decorating cakes for various events. While the main cake decorating like frosting and fruit is done in San Francisco, we get custom orders for birthdays or anniversaries that require quick in-store decorating," Peña said.
The staff can get quite busy on the weekends, especially with many custom orders, but their customer service remains swift and effective.
"Dianda's overall is very organized and efficient regarding customer service. Even when busy, they find a way to promptly attend to all of their consumer's needs. I continue to go there for the great food and service!" said Tizara CheemaMinhas, a Belmont local who works near the establishment and frequently drops in before or after work.
Peña notes that the staff is not trained in any specific manner. Still, they must be "able to interact with customers appropriately and have comprehensive knowledge about the cakes and all of the bakery's selection."
"When I first went to Dianda's, I was confronted with numerous flavors that were unknown to me, however; the staff demonstrated expertise to each individual pastry and dessert that they offered, which boded a positive impression," said Cooper Phillips, a customer that buys from Dianda's regularly.
The combination of divine bakery goods with traditional Italian recipes and the passion and diligence their staff members emanate has allowed the Dianda legacy to surpass its 60th anniversary.
"An image of Mr. and Mrs. Dianda hangs on the bakery wall, and their legacy lives within each of us at this bakery," Peña said.
