Aurora Cafe & Bakery
Overview
Aurora Café and Bakery is led by married couple Javier and Kerianne Nuñez. Javier graduated from The Culinary Institute of America with a degree in Baking and Pastry Arts and has been working in the food industry for 10+ years. He has most recently managed the bread department at Ibis Bakery and is teaching classes at the acclaimed Johnson County Community College Pastry Program. Kerianne graduated from The Culinary Institute of America with a degree in Culinary Arts and has been working in the food industry for 14+ years. Her most recent job as a Food and Beverage Manager at a local country club gave her front of house experience in running a restaurant. The namesake of Aurora Café and Bakery belongs to Javier’s maternal grandmother, Aurora Meneses Arriaga. Aurora was born in 1920 in Zitácuaro, Michoacán, México and grew up on a ranch where she tended to the animals, learned to cook, make candy and sew. Aurora quickly became an extraordinarily talented home cook, and her extensive knowledge of Mexican cuisine shone through her food’s fascinating flavors and regional dishes. She was particularly known for her incredible salsas. Aurora’s love language was cooking for others. She had the ability to make a stranger feel like a part of her family through food. The first time Aurora met Kerianne, Javier and Kerianne were just dating, but Aurora insisted they would get married, and she would cook for their wedding. Aurora passed away on January 6th, 2020 at the age of 99. Javier and Kerianne aim to capture and spread Aurora’s love of food by cooking and sharing their own, under her name.
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