Cal's Bakeshop is bringing their cronuts to the old Rocco's Little Chicago building, opening their first brick-and-mortar

August 1, 2025 marked the end of an era in Tucson.

The glass cases in places like Hebrews Coffee and Stacks Book Club were empty. There was no sight of fluffy, cinnamon sugar dusted pastries, or giant cronuts topped with a drizzle of icing and crumbs of red velvet cake.

There wasn’t even a chocolate dipped concha available to pair with an iced vanilla latte.

This infamous day in Tucson history is known as the day Cal’s Bakeshop went dark.

Caleb Orellana, a.k.a THE Cal, announced on Instagram that the days of working from his home kitchen were over and the beloved bakery Cal’s Bakeshop was done.

While we were mourning the end of the cottage bakery, Orellana and his brother, Josue, were hard at work on their new journey: opening their first brick-and-mortar.

It was time Orellana’s doughnuts moved on a found a bigger home- specifically, a home that is as iconic as its unique flavors.

On Saturday, the glass cases of their new shop will be filled once again with the most delicious pastries you’ve ever tasted, bringing some sweetness to the spot that once served deep dish pizza and hot wings.

Cal’s Bakeshop is taking over the old Rocco’s Little Chicago building at 2707 E. Broadway, and will be opening their doors to the public this weekend, marking the beginning of their new chapter.

Orellana started Cal’s Bakeshop back in 2021 when he moved back to Tucson from California. His vegan pastries and brioche doughnuts quickly became a hit in town, with many driving all over town to find his treats at local coffee shops.

Orellana was happy with making his pastries in his home kitchen, but found that his products were quickly gaining popularity. That’s when his business partner, Terry Kyte, approached him about taking things to the next level.

“Cal’s became something very special to me and I feel like it became something to the community as well,” Orellana said. “I didn't want to take that step and then fall apart.”

Kyte, who owns Bisbee Breakfast Club, told Orellana they were making a move to buy the old Rocco’s Little Chicago building, and planning to make something that paid homage to the spot’s roots as a Winchell’s Donut House in the 70s.

With unique confection creations like oreo conchas stuffed with a creamy ube filling, and cinnamon roll Kouign-amann lined with cinnamon and cocoa powder, Cal’s Bakeshop was the perfect fit for the historic space.

Before they knew it, Orellana and his brother were transforming the pizza spot into the bakery of their dreams. Little by little, the building started getting the ultimate Cal’s Bakeshop makeover.

The green roof has been changed to a deep navy-blue color, and the red and tan exterior is a cool white. The brick and tile inside has been taken out and the space now has the feel of a retro diner.

Out front is a giant neon sign with Cal’s Bakeshop’s Big Boy-esque logo that catches your eye as you drive down Broadway. As an homage to Rocco’s, it also has the iconic marquee sign that features funny sayings.

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

They even found an old Winchell’s sign when they were demolishing the inside, and proudly hung it up as a reminder of the building’s origin.

“I was here, like, every day, because I was just so excited about it,” Orellana said. “I would drive by or come inside and look at it. I'd be like, 'oh, they didn't do anything or hey they did this little thing.”'

With the building makeover in process, it was time for the next step: perfecting their lattes.

The brothers learned the do’s and don’ts of latte making at Hebrews Coffee in American Eat Co., and soon, they were pulling espresso shots like it was nothing.

With their newly acquired coffee knowledge, they began putting together a drink menu for the bakery.  Once it opens, you can expect to see customers sipping on blueberry matcha, refreshers and energy drinks.

Since the brothers are Salvadorian, they created an horchata latte that uses Salvadorian horchata, which has a nuttier, creamier taste than typical horchata.

They were even able to work out a deal with the now-closed Tucson Coffee Cricket to serve their signature ube lattes.

“They were one of my first partnerships, so I asked if I could continue that tradition of the Ube latte,” Orellana said.

Of course, you’ll also be able to grab all kinds of vegan pastries at their new shop. Fresas con crema conchas, pumpkin pie cronuts, and glazed brioche doughnuts practically call your name from the glass cases.

The best part: doughnuts are offered all the time, not just on Fridays!

One of their fluffy, chewy brioche donuts is covered in cinnamon sugar and filled with a decadent apple cinnamon cream. Be warned, the softness of the doughnut mixed with the creamy filling that tastes like a warm, fall day, is addicting. You’ll be grabbing another one on your way out. (That’s exactly what I did.)

From the 'chubby,' 18 ounce drink cups (Fun fact: it’s the only shop in Tucson that offers this size) to the crumbles of ginger snaps that cover the pumpkin pie cronut, everything about Cal’s Bakeshop is done with love. And it's easy to feel at home with Uncle Husky (Josue’s nickname) smiling behind the counter.

“I’m excited about the groups of people that I'm going to see here and the regulars that are going to come in,” Orellana said. “I feel like everyone craves community, so if I can bring people together, that’s really special to me.”

Cal’s Bakeshop will officially be opening on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. where all their specialty doughnuts will be $5. That Sunday will also have the same schedule and deals!

After that, their normal schedule will be Wednesday – Friday from 6: 30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.