'You'll never find a place like this.' Family-owned Rockford bakery opens new location
The best of Mexican and American breads, pastries, cookies, cakes and other sweets all under one roof, well actually three.
RBK Bakery, which opened Sept. 13 in Belvidere, is the latest business to open up shop on Buchanan Street. It's an expansion of the family-owned bakery found inside southeast corner of Rivera's Fresh Market at East State and Fairview Avenue next to Chuck E. Cheese in Rockford.
A third RBK Bakery is on track to open Oct. 1 on the upper level of CherryVale Mall.
The businesses are owned by husband and wife, Evaristo and Rebeca Cruz of Belvidere.
More: What Rocks: Top 3 bakeries in the Rockford-area as voted on by readers
"You'll never find a place like this," Evaristo Cruz said of the variety of colorful American and Mexican baked goods inside of the Belvidere location.
The bakery offers up a variety items with original recipes from Cruz, including cookies, cupcakes, conchas, donuts, Mexican flan, danishes, churros and cakes. The bakery also has pan de muerto or bread of the dead, a sweet bread served in the days leading up to the Day of the Dead, a holiday widely observed in Mexico.
Evaristo Cruz first started baking 30 years ago while working for Swiss Maid Bakery in Harvard. He said his dream of owning and operating multiple bakeries was delayed for several years but not denied.
"I had my own bakery in Belvidere but then the economy came down," he said of his bakery that closed during the height of the 2007-2008 Great Recession.
The Cruz's continued to work at area bakeries before working for themselves the past year at the East State Street location where French rolls and concha are top sellers.
Jacob Cruz, 21, who will operate the Belvidere bakery with his girlfriend, Natalia Landa, 20, said his parents make a good team.
"My dad does the baking, and my mom does the decorating," he said.
For now, freshly made bakery items are being sent from Rockford to the Belvidere store.
However, the Belvidere store, formerly occupied by Yolanda's Bakery and Cake Shop, came with a commercial oven and mixer, both of whch will soon be put to use.
"Once we get the mall going, we're going to make bread here and ship it to the mall and everything else will be made here," Jacob Cruz said.
As for the name RBK Bakery, Jacob Cruz said, "My mom always signs here name RBK. RBK sounds like Rebeca. So, my dad decided to keep it and named the bakery after her."
Chris Green: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Family-owned RBK Bakery is has opened up shop in Belvidere
