About Us

A story of tradition and dedication.

Two brothers, originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, came to the United States in search of opportunity. With a deep love for baking passed down from their family, they worked tirelessly—day and night—preparing thousands of sourdough loaves by hand.

Their passion and perseverance gave rise to Sumano’s Bakery, now proudly based in Watsonville, California. What began as a humble dream has grown into a respected bakery whose all-natural, preservative-free bread is distributed to stores like Costco, Staff of Life, Safeway, and more.

Rooted in tradition and driven by quality, the Sumano brothers continue to honor their heritage by offering honest, flavorful bread made with care.

A woman wearing a hairnet, white sweatshirt, and gloves working in a warehouse, packaging bread on a conveyor belt.

Meet the team

A smiling middle-aged man with short gray hair, wearing a black polo shirt with red and yellow embroidery and tan pants, standing with arms crossed in front of a yellow background.

  • Ray Sumano is the proud founder of Sumano’s Bakery, a wholesale bakery based in Watsonville, California. Together with his wife Elena and his brother Rafael, Ray opened the bakery in 2001 with little more than a passion for baking and the dream of building something lasting for their family and community.

    Ray sharpened his craft by working alongside skilled bakers across the country and through intensive training at the American Institute of Baking. Those experiences, combined with countless hours of dedication at home, gave him the knowledge and confidence to perfect the bakery’s signature sourdough.

    Under Ray’s leadership, Sumano’s Bakery has grown from a small garage operation into a thriving business that now produces millions of loaves each year. True to its roots, the bakery still uses the same sourdough starter created more than two decades ago and never relies on preservatives or shortcuts.

    For Ray, baking is about more than bread—it’s about creating opportunities. He is committed to supporting local employment, providing fresh, high-quality products, and serving the community that has supported his family’s dream from the very beginning.

A middle-aged woman with curly brown hair stands in front of a yellow background, wearing a dark blue blazer, white blouse, blue jeans, and accessories including a necklace, bracelets, and a watch.

  • When Elena and her husband Ray were laid off from their jobs, they chose not to give up—they chose to create something of their own. In their home garage, Elena worked side by side with Ray, restoring used baking equipment, caring for the sourdough starter every single day, and handling the paperwork that helped bring their dream to life.

    For over 25 years, Elena has poured her love and dedication into both the bakery and her family. She finds joy in baking, growing her own vegetables, spending time in nature, and caring for her two dogs. She treasures natural foods, and among all the breads the bakery produces, sourdough will always be her favorite.

    Elena’s story is one of resilience and love—showing that with hard work, family, and faith in a dream, it’s possible to build something lasting and meaningful.

Man with short dark hair wearing a black polo shirt with a bakery logo, standing crossed arms, smiling against a yellow background.

Edgar Sumano

Production Team

A woman with curly hair and light skin wearing a black polo shirt with a bakery logo, standing with arms crossed against a yellow background.
Man with short hair and beard, wearing a black polo shirt with a logo, standing with arms crossed against a yellow background.
A man with dark hair and a beard, wearing a black polo shirt with a bakery logo, standing with arms crossed against a yellow background.

Araceli

Everardo

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A middle-aged man with short dark hair and a confident expression, standing with arms crossed against a bright yellow background. He is wearing a black polo shirt with a red and yellow logo on the chest.

Marco

Juan Pedro

Man in black bakery uniform with logo, wearing a white hairnet, standing against yellow background.
A man with a beard wearing a hairnet, black polo shirt with a red and yellow logo, standing with arms crossed against a yellow background.

Juan

José

Woman wearing black polo shirt with bakery logo, hair covered with a hairnet, standing against a yellow background.

Marilú

Marcos

At Sumano’s Bakery, everything starts with family. We are two brothers who came from Oaxaca, Mexico, carrying not just a dream, but the deep-rooted traditions of baking we learned from many great local bakers. From those early days to today, our journey has been shaped by unity, hard work, and a shared love for honest bread.

Working side by side has taught us the power of collaboration—each loaf is the result of our combined hands, hearts, and vision. In every step of the process, there’s a deep sense of passion and commitment.. We don’t just bake bread—we craft something that nourishes, connects, and celebrates where we come from.

With more than 40 years of experience, we’ve built a bakery that’s not only warm and welcoming, but also equipped with the tools and facilities to produce large volumes of high-quality, natural bread. Our space is designed for efficiency and care, allowing us to grow while never losing that handmade touch.

At Sumano’s, we believe good bread takes time, love, and respect for the craft. That’s why we use high-quality ingredients, traditional methods, and never any preservatives—just real food, made with purpose.

Welcome to our Bakery!. We’re honored to share our bread, and our story, with you.

Bread being baked in a commercial oven with a metal rack and conveyor system.
Close-up of a baking sheet with toasted shredded coconut.
A woman wearing a hairnet and a white smock stands in a bakery, placing freshly baked cookies onto a tray, with baking racks in the background.
Man in bakery holding tray of elongated loaves of bread in industrial bakery kitchen.
A woman wearing a hairnet and black gloves is packaging bread in a bakery or industrial kitchen.
Close-up of seeded bread slices.
A person with a hair net and black gloves arranges packages of Ciabatta bread in a bakery.
A worker in a bakery monitors multiple trays of dough, preparing bread or baked goods in an industrial kitchen.
Three women working in a food production factory, each holding a loaf of bread in clear packaging. They are wearing hairnets, white t-shirts, and black gloves. There is a large blue bin in the background and a metal table with more loaves of bread in
Person handling baked bread loaves with black gloves in a baking facility.
Loaf of Sweet Steak Rolls bread on a bakery conveyor belt, with blurred background of bakery equipment and staff.
Three packages of Sicilian cannoli on a metal surface.
Several loaves of bread with yellow and white packaging, labeled "Suman'o's Bakery" and "Quality Baked Breads, Since 2001". The loaves are placed in a shopping basket.
Packaging label for Watsonville Sourdough bread from Sumanos Bakery, indicating ingredients, nutritional facts, and allergen information.
A worker in a bakery wearing a hairnet and white uniform handling a rack with small dough balls, surrounded by baking equipment in the background.
Line of trucks parked along the side of a road, with a bakery advertisement on the side of one truck that reads "SUMANO'S BAKERY," in a semi-urban area with houses, trees, and power lines.
Multiple loaves of bread in plastic packaging with yellow and red labels, stacked on top of each other.