Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct the location of Kevin Pelen’s hometown.

Vanessa Courtierrez, an El Salvador native, describes not being able to turn a street corner in her home country without hitting a pupusas shop. Pupusas, which are stuffed corn cakes, have historically been a staple in Salvadoran cuisine. Courtierrez said Salvadorans find any reason to work pupusas into their meals and they can be had with breakfast, lunch or dinner and can have a variety of fillings. 

In adulthood Courtierrez moved to Summit County, leaving behind El Salvador and its pupusas.

Throughout her childhood, it was always her mother who made pupusas for the family, and she wasn’t coming with Courtierrez to Summit County. This meant that Courtierrez would have to learn how to make them herself if she wanted to enjoy one of her favorite foods while living far from home. 

Courtierrez ended up getting pretty good at making pupusas, so much so that she started selling them out of her home. This February, Courtierrez got to take her pupusas operation out of her home and into a local bakery and food shop, one that her husband just happened to open. 

When Leonel Itzep, Courtierrez’s husband, and Kevin Pelen opened Panaderia Summit at the start of February they did so with the intention of bringing more authentic Latin American food to the area. Itzep and Pelen hail from Guatemala.

The owners said they pull a lot of inspiration from their home countries as well as some from Mexico. Yet there’s one country’s cuisine they said they have found there is high demand for. 

“We make a lot of special Nicaraguan food because there are a lot of Nicaraguan people in Summit,” Itzep said through a translator, the translator being Courtierrez.

“We like to give them something that is special from their country,” Courtierrez added. 

Itzep and Pelen originally met over a loaf of bread that Itzep bought from Pelen. The two got to talking, and Itzep gave him a rundown of his work in the restaurant industry in Summit over the last near-decade. It wasn’t long before Pelen found a storefront that was available on West Anemone Trail in Dillon to set up Panaderia Summit in and invited Itzep to be a co-owner.

Bread is both what brought Itzep and Pelen together and what keeps them together as business partners. Itzep explained that Panaderia Summit makes pan, or bread in English, using Nicaraguan, Guatemala and Salvadoran recipes. The spot also has a slew of freshly-baked Latin American pastries such as churros and conchas, or Mexican sweet bread pastries. All baked goods cost $2. 

Panaderia Summit offers breakfast including breakfast burritos and quesadillas ranging from $9.50 to $12. There is also lunch with classics such as tacobirria, burritos and, of course, papusas. Lunch options range from $5 to $18.

Panaderia Summit is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

It is located at 761 West Anemone Trail in Dillon. More information can be found at Facebook.com/panaderialaescondidallc/.