OUR STORY

Even though Charlotte Bakery opened in March of 1996, its history can be traced back to the late 1960s when Gladys Jofre opened her first bakery back in her hometown of Santiago, Chile. 

Named 7UP, Jofre operated it for a few years before deciding to move to Caracas, Venezuela where she opened Rapa Nui in the early ’80s. This is where Jofre changed the traditional bakery business by integrating baked goods from different countries all at one location. She was the first in Venezuela to sell traditional Venezuelan empanadas alongside Chilean empanadas.

Jofre briefly retired from the bakery business in 1992 when she sold Rapa Nui, but in 1995 she decided to make a move to the United States to be alongside her family and yet again decided to operate another bakery. Jofre opened Charlotte Bakery in 1996 with her husband, Roberto, and the help of her daughter, Paola, and son-in-law, Philip Coleman, who is the owner of Moises Bakery.

Charlotte has been family owned and operated since. Gladys and Roberto can always be seen mingling with customers because as they say, “The success of any business requires the owners to always be there.” Even though both are in their late sixties, the love and care for the bakery drives them everyday to be there for their customers.

Today their grandson, Harry Coleman, and his wife, Michelle, are helping the Jofre’s continue the family tradition of excellence. Harry and Michelle recently graduated from Florida International University and decided to make their careers the bakery. Michelle is in the front greeting customers everyday while Harry is making sure the food production is operating to Charlotte Bakery’s high standards in their kitchen.