Los Angeles is known for its old-school eateries like Canter's Deli, Langer's, and the Apple Pan.

But a lesser-known bakery located in South Los Angeles has also stood the test of time, the 27th Street Bakery.

The family-owned business known for its sweet potato pies opened in 1956. While the coronavirus pandemic has hit many small businesses hard, the bakery has persevered.

The goal for 27th Street Bakery is to make their pies as homemade as possible. 

"We do not use canned yams, any canned sweet potatoes; everything is fresh. The process of making sweet potato pies is a long process. We do everything by hand. So we light our stoves, put the potatoes in the pot, take them out, and peel them. Then we put them in a mixer; then I put them in a depositor, then I put them in the oven. It takes about 90 minutes for the pies to cook. Then I have a group of young ladies who come in to box up the pies for the drivers. I have drivers that come at 5 a.m., 6, and 7:00," said Jeanette Bolden-Pickens, owner of 27th Street Bakery.

Except for the holidays, 90% of 27th Street Bakery's business is wholesale. 

"I think the thing I like the most the holiday season is the organized chaos. I think I'm the only one here who likes that. I get two to three hours of sleep. I am up and going. There are lines out the door, people yelling and screaming. I enjoy that part. Nobody else does, though," Bolden-Pickens added.

Jeannette's grandparents, Harry and Sadie Patterson, established the bakery. 

"Harry Paterson is my grandfather, and what he meant to me was a visionary. And one thing that my grandfather gave me was the spiritual side — belief and confidence. I was born with asthma, and running track was a way for me to be normal," Bolden-Pickens said.

Along with helping around at the bakery, she was also training for the Olympic Games of 1984. 

"Growing up here at the bakery, you go to track practice, and then you have to deliver pies. I was a student-athlete at UCLA; I took a year off to train for the Olympic Games, and I made the Olympic team. I was fourth in the 100 meters, and I came back a few days later and ran second-leg in the four by 100-meter relay. I won a gold medal. I am super excited about being an Olympian and for winning an Olympic Gold Medal right down the street in my hometown."  

Bolden-Pickens took over 27th Street Bakery in 2008 and said it's her responsibility to move it to the next generation, despite the hardships. 

"The pandemic, in the beginning, was very difficult, and we are still making adjustments. Things are not 100%, but at least a lot of our eateries started to come back, and the grocery store sales really helped. It really became apparent to me that this is a legacy that needs to be passed on. It is necessary to keep moving on."

Next year Los Angeles will hosts the Super Bowl in February, and the 27th Street Bakery was recently selected as one of the vendors that will supply food to Super Bowl events. 

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