When Genny DeFoor moved to Arlington from her native Bolivia 20 years ago, she only planned to stay long enough to learn English. But then she fell in love. Twice. First with her husband, also originally from Bolivia, and then with Arlington.

“We just loved Arlington, so we decided to stay here,” said DeFoor. “Anytime anybody asks my husband where he’s from, he says Arlington. It’s so beautiful.”

So when the couple, who met in English classes, decided they wanted to open a business, it was all about their adopted county.

“[We were] thinking what would be the best thing to do for the community,” she said.

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Enter Pan American Bakery, a Bolivian-inspired bakery on Columbia Pike in South Arlington. DeFoor and her husband decided to open the store, she said, because Brenner’s Bakery, a long-standing Arlington institution, was closing after 30 years and she wanted to fill the void.

“We met with [various Arlington groups] and they all said a bakery is something they would love to have,” she said.

Luckily for DeFoor, she grew up in a family that loved to cook and had a lot of family recipes that she could bring to her new business.

“My family has always baked,” she said. “When I was little I remember baking.”

DeFoor and her husband purchased an old laundromat in 2003, renovated it and reopened it as Pan American Bakery in August 2004.

The bakery quickly became a neighborhood staple; after only six months extended its hours to accommodate the demand. Today, the bakery is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. In addition to Bolivian-influenced baked goods, Pan American offers a range of soups and other dishes.

DeFoor and her husband brought on a new chef recently and have seven employees, plus family members who pitch in. Her sister moved here five years ago from Bolivia and works at Pan American, and DeFoor’s mother visits — and bakes — for months at a time.

While DeFoor had planned to keep her bakery business exclusive to Arlington, a growing number of customers from other parts of the region got her thinking about a second location. She’s currently scouting places in Maryland and Virginia that are lacking a neighborhood bakery.

“The most important thing is to look for what the community needs,” she said. “Then you have to give all your heart and soul.”

BUSINESS

» Current job: Co-owner of Pan American Bakery

» Last job: Nanny

» Number of voicemails a day: 10

» Essential Web site: bakeryequipment.com

» Best perk: Working with my family, watching my customers enjoy our products

» Education/credentials: Speaks Portuguese, Spanish and English

» First job: Secretary

» Original aspiration: To be a business executive

PERSONAL

» Date of Birth: April 29, 1965

» Hometown: Cochabamba, Bolivia

» Sports/hobbies: Aerobics, basketball, soccer

» Favorite restaurant: Wherever has a good salad

» Favorite clothier: Nordstrom

» Vacation spot: Bolivia; Outer Banks, N.C.

» Role model: Oprah Winfrey

» Reading: Bible, health books

kwilmeth@dcexaminer.com