HOUSTON — An east Houston bakery is on the rise thanks to its newest creation... the pumpkin spice concha!
La Hacienda Bakery posted their twist on the Mexican sweet bread on TikTok, which quickly went viral. Now, they're selling thousands of conchas a day.
"I feel like I'm living a dream," said Leslye Rangel, co-owner of La Hacienda Bakery.
The bakery on Uvalde Road has been open for more than a decade but is gaining newfound fame thanks to the fall-themed pastry.
"Never in a million years did we think all USA is coming, driving many hours, flying to La Hacienda for a pumpkin spice concha," she said.
Some customers have driven up to 16 hours.
"He bought like $200 worth of pumpkin spice because he wanted all of his friends and family to try it in North Carolina," Rangel said.
Rangel said they're now working around the clock to keep up with the demand, including shipping nationwide.
So what's unique about these treats?
Unlike many traditional conchas, Rangel said their stuffed conchas stay moist and fluffy for days.
La Hacienda Bakery has sold them for a few years, but it wasn't until recently that a video posted to TikTok gave the product a big boost.
The video has racked up more than half a million views and counting.
"Once I cut the concha and showed them the filling how soft and moist people started going crazy and wanted to try it," Rangel said.
Andrew Ong is one of those customers.
"The fact that it's Halloween-themed and it's also pumpkin spice that sounded pretty good so I wanted to try it," he said.
It keeps fans like Alfredo Zavala coming back.
"They're really good, whether you like pumpkin or not they're really good," he said.
To put into perspective just how popular these pumpkin spice conchas are, Rangel said they used to sell about 50 stuffed conchas a weekend, now thanks to their latest creation, they're selling 2,000 or more a day.
Rangel, who works as a sheriff's deputy by day, said she's beyond grateful for the love and support.
"It never crossed my mind people would support us like this, a small business," she said. "It's a blessing."
If you want to get your hands on these pumpkin-spiced conchas, you better hurry. The bakery plans on wrapping up production in a few weeks as they get ready to release a Christmas-themed concha next.