Doña Nelly's Bakery: 40 Years of Kneading in Santa Rita

The smell that wakes up Santa Rita

It's 5:30 in the morning in the Santa Rita neighborhood, north of Cali. While most of the city is still asleep, the aroma of hot bread begins to seep through the bars of houses, through the windows of cars heading to work, and even into the dreams of night owls. That smell comes from a small shop, with a white facade and a hand-painted sign that says: Panadería Doña Nelly. It has been coming out of the same clay oven for 40 years, and if you are from Santa Rita or its surroundings, you have surely followed it like a faithful dog since you were a child.

Doña Nelly, a 72-year-old woman, wrinkled but with an energy that would put any 30-year-old to shame, opened this business in 1986, when the neighborhood was still pastureland and the streets had more dirt than asphalt. "I started with a wooden table and an oven my mother-in-law lent me. I sold pandebono to the neighbors, and they told me: 'Nelly, this is better than the one from the store.' That's when I knew I had something," she told me one morning in May 2026, as she floured a board with her usual skill. Today, her bakery is a landmark not only for neighborhood residents but for Caleños from all over the city who line up on weekends for her famous pan de bono with costeño cheese.

In this guide, I'll tell you everything you need to know about this place: what to try, how to get there, why Doña Nelly's dough is different, and above all, why it's worth waking up early on a Saturday to grab the freshly baked bread. If you're one of those who think good pan de bono only comes from chain bakeries, get ready to change your mind.

The story of Doña Nelly: a life of kneading

Doña Nelly wasn't born a baker. She grew up in a hamlet in El Cerrito, Valle, where her mother made arepas de maíz pelado on a wood-fired stove. At 17, she came to Cali to work as a domestic employee, and that's where she learned to make bread: the lady of the house, a woman from Antioquia, taught her the basic recipe for pan de bono and pandebono. "She used to tell me: 'Nelly, the key isn't in the ingredients, it's in your hands. You have to feel the dough, not weigh it,'" she recalls.

When she married Don Álvaro, an electrician from the Santa Rita neighborhood, they moved into a little house on Carrera 36 with Calle 5A. With three young children and a tight salary, Nelly decided to bake bread to sell to the neighbors. At first, it was 20 units a day. Now, on a good Saturday, she can sell over 500. "I never thought it would become like this. People come from Siloé, from Ciudad Jardín, even from Jamundí. A man told me he gets up at 5 in the morning just to get here before the special pan de bono runs out," she says with a smile that wrinkles her face even more.

The business has been through the 1994 earthquake, the blackouts of the 90s, the 2020 pandemic. But Doña Nelly never closed. During the quarantine, neighbors lined up with masks and social distancing, and she passed them the bread through a small window. "It was like giving them a hug in flour," she jokes. Today, her eldest daughter, María Elena, helps with the administration, and two employees handle production. But Doña Nelly still gets her hands in the dough every day. "I won't delegate that even if I'm dead," she states.

What to do at Panadería Doña Nelly

Visiting this place is not just about buying bread. It's a sensory experience that starts the moment you turn the corner of Carrera 36. Here's what you can't miss.

Try the special pan de bono

This is the star product, the one that has people lining up from 7 a.m. The difference from common pan de bono is in the cheese: Doña Nelly uses crumbled costeño cheese, which gives it a moister texture and a salty flavor that contrasts with the sweetness of the yuca. She also adds a touch of anise that she learned from her mother. "That's the secret no one has been able to copy from me," she says. Each unit costs $2,500 COP (reference price as of May 2026). It is recommended to order it hot, fresh out of the oven, and accompany it with a black coffee from the pot that they also sell there.

The traditional pandebono

If the pan de bono is the king, the pandebono is the prince. The dough is firmer, less moist, and has a milder cheese flavor. Doña Nelly makes it with yuca starch and fresh cheese, without adding sugar. It's perfect for those who prefer something less sweet. It comes in two sizes: small (at $1,500 COP) and large (at $3,000 COP). Neighbors buy it by the dozen for Sunday breakfast.

The almojábanas with bocadillo

Another classic you can't miss. Doña Nelly's almojábana is fluffy, with just the right amount of bocadillo (guava paste) sweetness that melts in your mouth. "I learned to make them with a recipe from my grandmother, but I added my touch: a little bit of ground cinnamon," she explains. They cost $2,000 COP each and sell out quickly, so if you arrive after 10 a.m., you probably won't find any.

The cheese-filled yuca bread

This is the children's favorite. It's a little ball of fried yuca dough, filled with mozzarella cheese, that melts when you bite into it. Doña Nelly fries them in palm oil, as is traditionally done in Valle. They come in portions of 5 units for $6,000 COP. They are ideal to take on a trip or for a school lunchbox.

Watch the clay oven

If you arrive early (before 8 a.m.), you can see Doña Nelly putting the trays into the clay oven at the back of the shop. It's an artisan oven that she built herself with refractory bricks 30 years ago. "That oven is like a living being. You have to know it: know when it's hot, when it's cold, when you need to add more wood. If you don't take care of it, the bread doesn't come out the same," she says. Watching her work is a spectacle: with a white apron stained with flour, agile hands, and a permanent smile, she looks like an artist in her workshop.

Buy to take away

The shop has no tables or chairs, so everything is for takeaway. But it's worth waiting in line, which is usually 10 to 15 minutes during peak hours (between 7 and 9 a.m.). If you go after 11 a.m., there probably won't be much left, so get up early. Saturdays and Sundays have the most variety, but from Monday to Friday, there are also basic pan de bono and pandebono.

Where to eat and drink nearby

Santa Rita is a residential neighborhood, but it has some places where you can complement your visit to the bakery. Here are my recommendations.

The corner store (Carrera 36 with Calle 5)

Half a block from the bakery, there is a traditional store that sells pot coffee, sodas, and empanadas. It's the perfect place to sit on the sidewalk (if it's not sunny) and accompany your pan de bono with a strong black coffee. The owner, Doña Rosa, is a friend of Doña Nelly and sometimes saves bread for customers who arrive late. It has no name, but everyone knows it as "the corner store."

Heladería Santa Rita (Calle 5 with Carrera 37)

A five-minute walk away, this ice cream shop has been in the neighborhood for over 20 years. They sell artisanal ice cream made from natural fruits, such as lulo, maracuyá, and guanábana. A double cone costs $4,000 COP. It's a good plan after eating hot bread, especially on hot Cali days.

Restaurante El Fogón de la Abuela (Carrera 38B #5-12)

If you're hungry for something more substantial, this typical Valle del Cauca food restaurant is a 10-minute drive away. They serve sancocho de gallina, bandeja paisa, and arroz atollado. Dishes range from $15,000 to $25,000 COP. They are open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday. It's not gourmet, but it's home-style cooking that tastes like home.

How to get to Panadería Doña Nelly

The bakery is located at Carrera 36 #5A-12, in the Santa Rita neighborhood, north of Cali. It's easy to get to, but keep in mind that the neighborhood is residential and the streets are narrow.

By private car

From downtown Cali, take Avenida 3N north. Turn right onto Calle 5 and continue until Carrera 36. The shop is half a block away, on the left side. There is street parking, but on weekends it fills up quickly. I recommend arriving before 8 a.m. to find a spot. If coming from the south, take the Autopista Suroriental to Avenida 3N and follow the same directions.

By public transport

You can take the MÍO (Cali's bus system) to the Santa Rita station (line T1 or T2). From there, walk 5 minutes east on Calle 5. Feeder buses like the A44 also pass by, dropping you off on Carrera 36. The fare is $2,800 COP (2026 rate).

On foot or by bicycle

Santa Rita is a flat, walkable neighborhood. If you are staying in the north (near Avenida 3N or the Granada neighborhood), you can walk there in 15-20 minutes. By bicycle, there are bike lanes on Avenida 3N and Calle 5. The shop has no bike parking, but you can lock it to a nearby pole at your own risk.

Local tips to enjoy it to the fullest

Here are tips from a Caleño who has been going to the bakery since he was a child:

• Get up early. The special pan de bono runs out before 9 a.m. on Saturdays. If you arrive at 10, there's probably none left. On Sundays, there's a bit more stock, but still, don't get too confident.
• Bring cash. Doña Nelly does not accept cards or transfers. Only bills and coins. There is an ATM on Avenida 3N with Calle 5, a 10-minute walk away, but better to be prepared.
• Ask for the special pan de bono without being offered. Sometimes Doña Nelly saves it for regular customers, but if you arrive and ask, she will sell it to you. Don't be shy.
• Don't limit yourself to pan de bono. Also try the almojábanas and pandebonos. Each has its moment: pandebono for breakfast, almojábana for a snack.
• Talk to Doña Nelly. If the line isn't long, she sits down for a while to chat. Ask her about the history of the oven or the pan de bono recipe. She is a charming lady who tells anecdotes as if she were telling stories.
• Bring a container to take away. The shop gives the bread in paper bags, but if you buy many units, you can ask for a plastic bag. Better to bring your own reusable bag to avoid waste.
• Avoid going during rainy hours. The line is outdoors, and in Cali it rains heavily between October and December. If you go during the rainy season, bring an umbrella.

The secret of the dough: tradition that is not for sale

Many have offered Doña Nelly to set up a franchise or sell the recipe. A businessman from Bogotá offered her 50 million pesos for the special pan de bono formula. She said no. "That's not for sale. The recipe is from my family, from my mother, from my grandmother. If I sell it, what do I leave for my grandchildren?" she says firmly. The secret, according to her, lies in three things: the costeño cheese, which she buys at the Alameda market every Wednesday; the yuca starch, which must be the La Equitativa brand; and the clay oven, which gives it a smoky flavor that can't be achieved with electric ovens. "But more than anything, it's the love. If you knead with anger, the bread comes out bitter. If you knead with love, it comes out sweet," she philosophizes.

Loyal customers confirm this. Don Jaime, a 68-year-old neighbor who lives on the same block, says: "I've been coming here since it opened. My son grew up eating this bread, and now my grandson does too. It's like a ritual: on Saturdays, at 7, we meet here with the neighborhood friends. Doña Nelly is part of the family."

Loyal customers: from children to grandparents

What makes this bakery special is not just the bread, but the community it has created. On Saturday mornings, the line is a reflection of the neighborhood: ladies in aprons coming after mass, young people on bicycles stopping to buy breakfast, children with their parents eagerly waiting for the cheese-filled yuca bread. Doña Nelly knows almost everyone by name. "Look, that boy coming with his mom is the son of a customer who came when she was pregnant. Now he's 10 years old and already knows what he wants: the special pan de bono, without asking," she says, pointing to a kid with glasses who waves from the line.

There are touching stories. A lady named Lucía travels from the El Peñón neighborhood (south of Cali) every Saturday by bus, just to buy a dozen pandebonos. "My mom lived here in Santa Rita and brought me as a child. Now that she has passed away, coming here is like feeling her close," she says with teary eyes. Doña Nelly saves the pandebonos for her without her asking. "She is special. I don't charge her for the extra pan de bono," she confesses.

The future of the business

Doña Nelly is 72 years old and has no plans to retire. But she has thought about the succession. Her daughter María Elena, 45, already handles the accounting and social media (they have an Instagram page with 3,000 followers, although Doña Nelly doesn't quite understand how it works). "She wants to modernize, put in an electric oven, open on Sundays until 2 p.m. I tell her no, that the clay oven is the soul of the business. But in the end, she's the one in charge now," she says with a laugh. María Elena, for her part, assures that she will not change the recipe or the oven. "The only thing I want is for people to be able to buy online and pick up without waiting in line. But my mom says the line is part of the experience. And she's right."

For now, the business remains the same: open Monday to Saturday from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m., and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Prices remain stable, although Doña Nelly admits she has had to raise them a bit due to inflation. "But never more than $500 pesos a year. The people of Santa Rita aren't rich, and I'm not going to charge them as if they were from Ciudad Jardín," she clarifies.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best time to go to find the special pan de bono?

Ideally, arrive between 6:30 and 8:30 a.m., especially on Saturdays. The special pan de bono is baked in batches: the first comes out at 6:30 a.m., the second at 8 a.m. If you arrive after 9 a.m., there probably won't be any left. On Sundays, there is a bit more availability, but still, getting up early is key.

Do you accept orders or deliveries?

They don't have their own delivery service, but you can call the number on their Instagram (@panaderiadonanellycali) to place an order and pick it up. They don't do deliveries because Doña Nelly prefers people to come to the shop. "Hot bread can't be sent by motorcycle; it gets cold and ruined," she explains. If you need a large quantity (more than 50 units), you can order it 24 hours in advance.

Is the special pan de bono suitable for celiacs or people with gluten intolerance?

Pan de bono and pandebono are made with yuca starch, which does not contain gluten, so they are suitable for people with celiac disease. However, Doña Nelly warns that products containing wheat flour (like the almojábanas) are baked in the same oven, so there may be cross-contamination. If you have severe celiac disease, it's best to ask directly before buying.

How much does a dozen of the special pan de bono cost?

The special pan de bono is sold per unit at $2,500 COP. If you buy a dozen (12 units), the total price is $30,000 COP. There is no volume discount, but Doña Nelly sometimes gives an extra unit if she sees the customer is friendly or has come from far away. She does not accept credit cards, so bring cash.

Is there parking nearby?

There is no parking lot