La Luna Bakery: Generations of Familial Flavors and Heritage

Oct 14, 2025

One of Downtown Canton's oldest businesses, La Luna Bakery has served the community with homemade Mexican and Guatemalan cuisine with recipes that have been passed down through multiple generations. We asked one of the owners in the Luna family, Cynthia Cifuentes, to let us know more about the restaurant and bakery.

Left to right: Luis Luna, Patricia Luna, Jose Luna, Cynthia Cifuentes

"How did the business start and when? "

Cynthia: La Luna Bakery began in November of 2002 when my grandpa and dad opened the doors for the first time. It started as a dream to bring the traditional flavors of our culture to the community and create a place where people could feel at home. My grandpa didn't speak English. My dad knew some, but not much. So it was a very challenging, but they did it, and they always started with simple bread — nothing complicated.

"How much change have you seen in the community since then?"

We’ve seen so many positive changes over the years — more growth, diversity, and connection. It’s been beautiful to watch the community evolve and to be a small part of that journey. When we first moved here, there was more of a Mexican community than a Guatemalan community, but over time that changed. So our menu changed to adapt to the growth. This is why you see a blend of Mexican and Guatemalan dishes on our menu. For example, we have two kinds of tamales. We make corn and rice tamales since both countries do it differently.

"How does your Hispanic culture and family heritage show up in your food and bakery?"

Cynthia: Our food is deeply rooted in our Hispanic heritage. We use traditional recipes from México and Guatemala, made with authentic ingredients and techniques passed down through generations. Every dish tells a story of where we come from.

Every single little town somewhere has their own version of a recipe. One of our signature recipes is for our mole (sauce). It's my grandma's signature that's been passed down from her mom and grandmom. Some people have it sweet, some people have their sauce spicy. For my grandma's recipe, we use five different types of peppers: chile ancho, chile guajillo, cihle pasilla, chile de arbol, and chile mulato. We also put sesame seeds, peanuts, and pumpkin seeds — a lot of different flavors.

"What were some of the biggest challenges in opening the restaurant?"

Cynthia: One of the biggest challenges was adapting to new customers and learning what the community wanted. It took time to understand local tastes while staying true to our family's authentic recipes and traditions.

My dad and grandpa opened this business in a new country, with a different language and many challenges. They never gave up. Their perseverance and faith taught me that hard work and love for what you do can overcome anything. Family values are at the heart of everything we do. I feel very lucky to work alongside the people I love most — my family.

"What's one thing you wish everyone could try at La Luna and what's your favorite part about being able to serve the community?"

Cynthia: If you've never been here, you have to try our tacos and tres leches cakes. The tres leches comes from my mother's side of the family. She was an amazing cook, but she was a city cook, so she knew how to do desserts and everything.

For me, food is comfort. It reminds me of my family, my home, and my roots. I love serving our community and creating that same feeling for everyone who walks through our doors.

La Luna Bakery is located at 250 Marietta Rd, Canton, GA 30114. They are open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day.

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