Surprisingly to me, the Mennonites have a significant presence in Guatemala as well as neighboring Belize and Mexico. I’ve not been able to find out anywhere how many there actually are in Guatemala, but according to Wikipedia, in Belize, with a population of just 350,000 there are over 10,000 Mennonites. And in Mexico they number over 100,000. Having done quite a bit of missionary work in the region, they’ve managed to convert some of the natives and establish numerous congregations.
In Xela, they run a very popular bakery called simply, The Bake Shop, with a large selection of items. They have donuts in all sorts of flavors, a large assortment of cookies, muffins, pies, sweet breads, as well as yoghurt, peanut butter, honey and empanadas, among other things.
Although their prices are pretty high for Guatemala, the quality of everything is quite good and worth it. In particular, their huge donuts 8Q ($1), absolutely stuffed with flavorful filling sandwich-like, are the best I’ve ever had in my life.
Open only Tuesdays and Fridays from 9-6, they’re located on 18 Avenida 1-40 in Zone 3. It’s a little tricky to find, as it’s hidden from plain view behind a large concrete stairwell in a small building with other shops. The store does appear on Google Maps, so I would recommend using that for directions from your departure point.
Travel With Mike 