Ricky Hernandez
STHS Class of 2001
Ricky Hernandez grew up in the family business. When his parents Jesus and Maria Elena Hernandez relocated from Los Angeles to Houston in July 1994 to open the Beechnut Street bakery — the second location in José Camarena’s Arandas Bakery chain, named for the family’s home town in Jalisco — Ricky joined them at the counter and the ovens. Through his St. Thomas years he and his younger brother Danny (’08) worked the original franchise on Beechnut and Gessner, carrying trays of pan dulce, empanadas, and orejas from the bakery’s kitchens to generations of loyal Houston customers. The Hernandez family’s commitment to traditional recipes and handmade baked goods has grown Arandas into one of Houston’s most beloved Mexican bakeries, with multiple locations serving pan dulce, tamales, tortillas, and specialty cakes across the region.
