Rosi retires after 50 years at the helm of Panadería Francisco in Torremolinos, one of the best bakeries in Spain

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The businesswoman has run an award-winning enterprise with a loyal clientele for half a century, from which she has witnessed the evolution of the traditional El Calvario neighbourhood

José Rodríguez Cámara

Monday, 19 January 2026, 11:27

Rosi Rey González has hung up her apron after 50 years at the helm of Panadería Francisco, a business that was named after her father and which she has run since she was 18 years of age. Together with her husband, Salvadora, Rosi started out in the flour trade in Churriana, where she was born. However, as her mother was from Torremolinos and, in the 1970s, after getting married, “the town was at its peak”, during the golden age of tourism, so the family eventually moved to the Costa del Sol town.

From Churriana to Torremolinos

At that time, while still just a young girl, Rosi began learning the trade. As she was “the eldest of the younger ones”, that is, the daughter born in the middle of the family’s five siblings, she took charge of the bread shop they opened. At first, at the age of 18, as they did not yet have an oven, she brought the bread over from Churriana. “I used to go in my van, a Mercedes, in which I almost had to stand up to drive, and it really caught people’s attention,” she says. Eventually, together with her siblings Javier and Silvia, she opened the bakery as everyone knows it today, in Calle Europa.

“I used to go in my van, a Mercedes, in which I almost had to stand up to drive, and it really caught people’s attention”

“No Sundays off, no holidays, no fixed hours – that’s what family businesses are like. When my father stepped back at 77, the three of us had to keep it going,” she explains. Although she admits to never having the chance to do things she has only recently begun to enjoy, such as going to the beach during the day, she also acknowledges that his work has been her passion – a love of bread, which, she notes with pride, has earned them an Estrellas Dir-Informática award, the Michelin star of bakeries, among other accolades and recognitions.

“No Sundays off, no holidays, no fixed hours – that’s what family businesses are like. When my father stepped back at 77, the three of us had to keep it going”

A whole lifetime behind the counter, during which they have witnessed the evolution of the El Calvario neighbourhood: this was a real “festivity” when the street market was held next to what is now the health centre, and a chance to learn, thanks to the “guiris”, who asked them for unusual breads that are still popular today. A career, they point out, built on a very loyal clientele, whose support they have repaid by collaborating, whenever possible, with local causes and institutions.

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This close connection with Torremolinos and a prominent role within its traditional businesses have led the mayor, Margarita del Cid, on behalf of the town hall, to visit the bakery in recognition of her work.

“Rosi, who owns Panadería Francisco together with her siblings, is retiring after 50 years of sweetening our lives. That is why we wanted to surprise her and thank her for her professionalism, warmth and the friendliness that defines her. I hope you enjoy this new stage of your life. Thank you for the affection with which you have always looked after the people of Torremolinos,” said the mayor, addressing the daughter of Francisco and Salvadora, who began kneading bread and pastries when she was still just a child.

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