Daniel Muñoz’s dream is finally happening. Toña, his first brick-and-mortar bakery and café, is opening soon at 4321 Dunbar Street.

Toña is personal for Muñoz, a Venezuelan-born pastry chef who trained at George Brown College in Toronto, before building up a strong Vancouver résumé (think Beta 5, Hawksworth, Nemesis, Viva). “Since pastry school, I’ve wanted to own my own place,” says Muñoz, looking around the shop. “This is it. This was always the goal.”

Opening a space like this is a steep learning curve, especially for a first-time owner. But Muñoz has leaned on mentors like Thomas Haas, Adam Chandler (Beta 5), Sharif (Coffee Roastery Modus), and Kento (Oide) for support. “I’m very lucky to have so many people be so generous with their support. Even finding this space came from a fellow chocolatier, Kate Mathewson from Melt Confectionery.”

Toña is also very much a family project. Muñoz’s partner Cosette Bote (also FOH Manager), sister Andrea Muñoz, and parents Maria Gil and Luis Muñoz, have all been in the trenches with him, handling everything from branding and packaging, to painting and cleaning.

When I toured the West Side bakery late last week, Muñoz was joined by Bote and Andrea. Muñoz admits that working with family has come with its share of challenges (as he says this, his sister is sitting beside him, and a smile washes across her face in playful agreement); but, to my eye, the end result is looking fantastic. The café has a bright tangerine ceiling and electric blue accents, new lighting and flooring, and custom-built counters and furniture (they did all the work themselves, including dealing with slanted floors and uneven walls). “It might not be exactly as I want it,” says Muñoz, “but we built everything on our own, and there’s a lot of pride in what we created.”

After years spent perfecting his craft with some of the city’s best, Muñoz is now ready to bring that acquired precision to his own bakery menu. Expect croissants stuffed with creative fillings, plus chocolates and caramels. Although he initially resisted including staples like muffins and scones on the menu, in the end he decided they would add more of a neighbourhood touch. “We want this to be a real community bakery, not just a spot for people chasing the next new thing.”

The coffee program is also in solid hands with Bote, who spent years as a barista at Beaucoup. The plan is to feature a rotating selection of coffee from various local roasters, as well as smaller nano-roasters when possible, including names like Botany and Quietly Coffee, based in the Ontario countryside.

Together, Bote, Muñoz and his family are crafting a Latin American-inspired bakery where pastries are baked fresh throughout the day, and the neighbourhood drops by for morning coffee and returns for lunch. Muñoz envisions weekends as a showcase for more adventurous creations with bold flavour combinations and seasonal features, designed to draw people from across the city. Winter will focus on chocolates and caramels, while summer promises house-made ice cream (if you’ve tried it before, then you know it’s worth the trip alone). He’s also keen on using the space for pop-ups and evening events. Having been part of numerous pop-ups himself, Muñoz values the opportunities they provide for emerging talent, and the sense of community they foster.

He also values his heritage, as evidenced by his business name. As it’s been explained to me, ‘Toña’ is short for ‘Antonieta’, which happens to be Muñoz’s mother’s middle name. He chose it as a nod to the nickname she grew up with, and as a way to represent his most personal and ambitious project. The ‘ñ’ in Toña is also more than just a letter — it’s part of Muñoz’s identity, tied to his last name, given by his father.

When Muñoz moved to Canada from Venezuela, he often dropped the ‘ñ’, using ‘Munoz’ instead, because people either mispronounced it or ignored it altogether. Bringing the ‘ñ’ back in Toña was an intentional way to reclaim something that got lost in translation. Of course, there are compromises: official documents and Instagram don’t recognize it, so the brand also goes by ‘Tona’.

Though I’ve only recently met him, I’ve admired Muñoz’s work for years. His style, talent and imagination consistently produce top-notch chocolates and baked goods. Coupled with the unwavering support of his family, friends, and a network of highly respected and skilled pastry chefs and chocolatiers, it’s clear that his talent as a chocolatier and pastry chef is matched by the faith and adulation he inspires as a person. All of this bodes well for his tiny West Side café.

I left my tour of Toña happy. It’s nice to see good people doing good things.

Toña will be at the Strange Fellows Brewing x OH Studio Project’s Krampusmarkt from November 29th to December 1st, before opening doors to its 16-seat café in early December. Stay tuned to @tona.chocolates for updates on the latter.

Toña

Neighbourhood: West Side

4321 Dunbar St.

(Opening soon)