THANK YOU!
Obsession pays off, we remained small with the only goal to be the best we can be. Thank you @beardfoundation for noticing our little bakery.
Thanks to our mighty little team, and congratulations to all the nominees!
I’ll tell you a short story…
When we started, we would bake no more than 20 loaves at a time. To sell them, I would go to restaurants to see if chefs would appreciate what we were doing. Very little bread would be purchased by regular customers, it’s been 3 years since then, it’s been sleepless nights and a constant search to better.
Not going to lie, after 3 year of really hard work, and absolute obsession feels pretty amazing to recognized next to one other amazing baker/person.
Thank you @foodandwine
Congrats Andy! @moxiebreadco
The Aftermath of *it* 👆🏼
For the last few years many of us have questioned if *our current job* is what we should be doing after all. In a country where work/life balance isn’t very balanced, and having the opportunity to take a breather. Many professionals decided to reinvent themselves and try new path. Lawyers became cookie makers, and my guess is that some Chefs decided to become a lawyers.
Feels a bit far now, but with after two years of difficulties we learned that Reunion had the duty to keep doing what we do best, we had to provide for our community, we NEEDED to be there. We didn’t close during the pandemic, and that felt right.
We also learned when coming out the other side, that there wasn’t anything else we’d rather do, and that really felt right.
Finding your true purpose is a treacherous road, you’ll doubt yourself many times but one day you’ll come out the other side and you’ll learn a lot about yourself.
For you who’s reading this, do not settle. Keep searching.
Ismael
After months of planning, permitting and proofing both building designs and the dough, the day has finally arrived.
Reunion Bakery is now open on South Pearl Street.
The James Beard-nominated bakery opened on Saturday with grand fanfare and a line of excited fans waiting outside its doors on 1240 S. Pearl St. before it opened. The baked goods sold out by 11:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Sunday.
“My first sight of relief was this weekend,” said Reunion Bakery owner Ismael de Sousa, wearing an apron and rubbery shoes dusted with flour on Tuesday. “We did it.”
Ismael de Sousa poses for a portrait at Reunion Bakery’s new Platt Park location on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 in Denver, Colo. (Tom Hellauer/Denver Gazette)
The bakery has become famous for its Portuguese custard tarts called pastel de natas, Venezuelan sticky buns and its croissants. With the expansion, it grew its menu to include brunch options such as sourdough toast with goat cheese, roasted almonds and Colorado seasonal preserves or a fattoush-inspired sandwich with kale, mint, parsley, olives, cucumbers, za’atar and goat cheese.
Reunion Bakery first opened in 2018 at the market hall within Source Hotel in the River North Arts District, where it ceased operations in March to make way for the expansion. De Sousa, who was raised in Venezuela, recalled how he spent most of his savings to start the business and had few friends or family in the country to show up and support him in Reunion’s early days.
It didn’t take long before his small bakery got the attention of a national food magazine. In 2019, Bon Appétit named it one of America’s 50 best new restaurants.
“That was a game changer,” he said. “And from then on, I realized we needed a bigger space so we could produce more and better.”
Read more on the DenverGazette.com
Congratulations to Ismael de Sousa on the beautiful expansion of @reunionbread into the Platt Park neighborhood, and on the eagerly anticipated May 2nd opening! 🙌💙🥐🎉
Reunion has been nourishing our family since moving here in 2020 and has been a bakeshop team favorite for many years. It means so much to see the growth and the incredible momentum of so many Colorado bakeries. Coloradans love pastries and we are ALL here for it!
Ismael, the new space looks absolutely stunning. We’re so excited for you and this next chapter of Reunion! Team Poulette is cheering you on every step of the way! 🎉🥐💙
Supporting local businesses is everything.
Reunion has been a success in Denver, and now they’re stepping into a new chapter with a new location.
Here’s a quick look inside the new space.
Opening May 2nd. TOMORROW!
Come check it out and grab something delicious @reunionbread
#denverfoodscene #denverfood #coloradoliving #foodie #bakery
Building one of Denver’s busiest bakeries didn’t happen overnight
From the idea to a brand people line up for, this is what it really takes
Full episode out now on YouTube and Spotify
Link in bio and stories
Thank you @foodlabcolorado for letting us film in your amazing location.
#denver #denvercolorado #denverfood #denverbusiness #entrepreneur
somehow Ismael let me inside of the new @reunionbread space on south pearl… the most epic bakery is coming back better than ever to south pearl SO SOON!!!
reunion 2.0 will have even more delicious pastries, an expanded menu, and maybe even a local cookbook for sale. stay tuned!!!!
Never meet your heroes… right?
About 9 years ago, I sat down at Husk in Nashville and had one of the most memorable meals of my life.
Nothing fancy—just shrimp and grits and fried chicken.
But perfect. Unforgettable.
I didn’t even know who the chef was at the time.
I just knew I had felt something different—
an obsession with doing things right.
Since then, I’ve been chasing that feeling.
But chasing excellence comes with something else…
the fear of not being good enough.
Of not measuring up to the people who inspired you.
Lately, I’ve had the chance to meet some of those people.
And what surprised me most?
They’re still chasing too. Except it felt as if they nothing to proof the world or themselves.
Maybe “never meet your heroes” isn’t about disappointment—
maybe it’s about realizing they’re human.
And that makes your own dreams feel a lot more real…
and a lot more scary.
We’re getting close.
Opening soon.
Don’t blink.
sourdough masterclass with the expert behind @reunionbread , Ismael! 🍞🥖✨ at the exceptionally gorgeous @foodlabcolorado !
stay tuned for future master classes!
STAY EVEN MORE TUNED for the launch of reunion’s new home on south pearl street - coming soon!!
featuring me as the sous chef 👩🏼🍳
