Man helps out local bakery during holiday season

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Sergio’s Bakery and Café is in full holiday mode. 

“I mean, it gets crazy this time of year. I mean, November, December is, is just off the wall of baked goods,” said Sergio DeBari, owner of Sergio’s Bakery and Café. 

DeBari followed in his dad’s footsteps in managing the bakery, and while their fan favorite recipes have stayed the same – advertising has changed a lot.

“First of all, it’s a lot cheaper, I gotta admit, you know, then the old-fashioned advertising. But just the community, like you feel connected with people, I got a lot of friends, friends come in here,” said DeBari. 

He’s talking about Facebook, so when they were down a dishwasher, Sergio turned to the Metaverse. 

“I had to get the word out there as fast as possible. So I put it on Facebook and I could not believe the amount of love that came back to me,” DeBari said.  

Within hours an outpouring of support from his loyal customers, and his newest employee. 

“Somebody called in within just a few minutes, saw it on Facebook, and I brought him in,” said DeBari. 

Ernie Tafoya answered the call for help. 

“My daughter sent me a text and told me to come on down and help him out,” said Tafoya.  

Tafoya says others may have turned away from the job, but not him.

“I mean, it’s hard work. I mean, it’s manual, you know, no dishwasher but no machine, but it’s fine with me,” Tafoya said. 

And the pay is secondary.

“They’re stuck there I mean, this guy can’t be here all night washing this stuff later, and I wouldn’t let that happen,” said Tafoya. 

Tafoya says he’ll stay as long as they need him.

“So I told him, right, you’re gonna have a big choice to make, that’s all I said,” said Tafoya.