El Paso mainstay El Fenix Bakery & Grocery is spreading the sweetness east, with a second location now open in Horizon City and serving the fast-growing Eastlake retail corridor. The Garcia family, who run the original Lower Valley bakery, launched the new storefront this month to take their pan dulce, tortas, and celebration cakes farther out toward Horizon City. The shop combines a full bakery counter with a grocery side that offers prepared foods alongside in-house tortillas and tamales.
According to the El Paso Times, the new location sits in the Eastlake retail area and is split into a bakery section and a grocery side. The Garcia family has owned El Fenix for 47 years and opened the Eastlake shop so they could serve hot items such as burritos and tortas along with their traditional baked goods. The Times reports the Eastlake hours as 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Eastlake Retail Boom
The latest El Fenix outpost arrives as retailers rush into the Eastlake corridor, where developers are rolling out grocery anchors, theaters, and strip centers to keep pace with surrounding neighborhoods. An overview of the area from River Oaks Properties highlights Eastlake Square and notes a "new El Paso Mexican bakery and restaurant" among fresh tenants, calling it a sign the corridor is filling in as planned. A community events calendar listed a May 2 grand opening for the Eastlake address and said the bakery handed out free donuts to the first 100 customers, per ToDoElPaso.
Family Recipes, New Hands
The original El Fenix was founded by Humberto and Maria del Carmen Garcia at their Alameda Avenue location, where it has long been a Lower Valley fixture. Today, celebration cakes at both shops are led by main baker Aylin Hernandez, while other family members, including Fransheska and Lynette, help run the business. Fransheska earned an MBA in 2020, and Lynette is reportedly planning to attend law school, according to the El Paso Times.
Earlier Holdup at the Alameda Shop
The business also hit local headlines in February after police said a man armed with a handgun cleaned out the register at the Alameda bakery, as per Hoodline. Investigators later asked the public for tips to help identify the suspect and urged residents to check dash-cam and doorbell footage from Feb. 9 as the case remained under investigation.
With a second storefront now open, El Fenix is serving customers on both sides of the city while adding grocery convenience to its classic bakery lineup. As Eastlake continues to fill in with new shops and services, the Garcia family’s expansion gives Horizon City shoppers a neighborhood bakery option closer to home.
