Authentic, fresh, sweet. Mexican pastries are closer than you think, Warner Robins.

Leticia Dimas’ baking skills blossomed in the kitchen at 8 years old, thanks to her mother, and she developed a passion for baking pan dulce, or sweet Mexican breads.

“I just fell in love with it,” she said. “My main dishes in Mexico when I was baking at that young age were churros and donuts.”

Dimas brought traditional Mexican pastries right to Warner Robins when she opened Panaderia Carmelita in August 2019. By then, her menu specialties grew to include conchas (powdered, seashell-like bread), tres leches cakes, puerquitos (molasses cookies), fruit-filled empanadas and more.

The bakery, located at 1315 Green St., welcomes hungry customers with an irresistible whiff of sugary and warm aromas. The business is dedicated to serving authenticity and piping hot freshness, Dimas said.

Dimas worked at Smiley’s Flea Market in Warner Robins for 15 years, establishing a clientele and even delivering and selling bread into neighborhoods.

However, she observed an urgent need for fresh baked goods in Warner Robins several years ago, which encouraged her to start the bakery, she said.

“Back in the day, people would buy old bread that sat out for like two weeks,” she said. “Vendors would bring bread from Atlanta and resell it to Mexican stores here.”

Dimas said it takes about three hours to make everything from scratch, but a customer’s smile is worthwhile.

“It just makes me happy to give a little piece of Mexico to my clientele here in Warner Robins,” she said. “It’s like sharing a little bit of home.”

Panaderia Carmelita also serves savory dishes like carnitas and corn tortillas. Customers can quench their thirst with authentic Mexican drinks like aguas frescas (fresh fruit juice) and cold horchata, a traditional drink made of rice water, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar.

But Dimas has not abandoned her childhood roots, as freshly prepared churros and donuts remain a staple on the menu. Customers can find buy-one-get-one churro specials on the weekends, she said.

Alex Dimas, who occasionally helps Leticia run the business, said he is proud of his mother and admires her unwavering passion for baking, despite numerous health challenges she faced over the years.

“It brings me joy to be able to see her do something that she loves,” he said. “For many years, she always had baking as a hustle, and she would always work two to three jobs while I was growing up. Being able to finally see her accomplish so much and finally open up her own business, she just taught me a lot.”

Visit Panaderia Carmelita’s Facebook page or call 478-256-8788 to place an order.

This story was originally published March 21, 2024 at 5:00 AM.