The upcoming LA28 Olympic Summer Games are expected to provide a significant economic lift for small businesses throughout Los Angeles, attracting international tourists to local favorites such as the historic bakery in South LA owned by former Olympic champion Jeanette Bolden-Pickens.
“As a small business, this is truly a golden opportunity for us in LA,” she shared with the California Post, emphasizing the potential benefits of LA28.
A recent analysis indicated that the Games might generate an economic impact between $20.5 billion and $40.6 billion in the Greater Los Angeles area, potentially creating 126,000 to 224,000 jobs.
The LA28 Organizing Committee has committed to ensuring that 75 percent of its contract spending happens locally, with a specific focus on allocating 25 percent of those funds to small businesses.
Bolden-Pickens, who has owned the third-generation 27th Street Bakery since 1956, is hopeful that these commitments translate to real opportunities for her and others.
“We have to ask ourselves—why not us? Why can’t our products be featured at the Olympic Games?” she pondered.
Recently, LA28 began accepting applications from food vendors looking to provide services at competition and non-competition venues, with hundreds expected to be chosen.
Bolden-Pickens encouraged local entrepreneurs to apply, insisting that there’s much to gain for small businesses. “We just need the chance to show what we can do,” she remarked.
To prepare, she’s intensifying training in her kitchen, equating it to an athlete’s preparation for the Olympics. “Every four years, the Olympics come around, and it’s about putting everything you have into being the best. I want to ensure my products are top-notch for 2028,” she reflected.
Bolden-Pickens draws parallels between her work at the bakery and her days as a sprinter in the 1984 Olympics. Winning gold in front of a home crowd was a life-changing experience for her. “I can still feel the excitement when I think of my first race; the stadium was alive with ‘USA! USA!’ chants,” she recalled, but quickly reminded herself to focus on the task at hand.
Now, over forty years later, she feels a sense of nostalgia as she reflects on her past. “Sometimes I wish I could compete again,” she joked.
Having grown up in Compton, Bolden-Pickens went through Fullerton College, California State University Northridge, and eventually UCLA, where she graduated in 1983. Alongside her successful coaching career spanning 27 years, the family bakery has always been her passion.
The history of the 27th Street Bakery began when her grandparents moved from Louisiana with family recipes in tow, eventually launching a restaurant on Central Avenue that quickly became popular.
Her grandfather instilled a strong work ethic in his grandchildren, a lesson Bolden-Pickens carried into her athletic pursuits. “Hard work and belief in oneself are essential,” she shared.
As a teenager, she often had to make deliveries before using the family car, which led her to bring friends along with baked goods in the backseat on their way to practice.
In 1980, under her mother’s and brother’s management, the bakery grew significantly. In one instance, her husband’s formal presentation was overshadowed when her mother simply served warm pies to grocery executives, a move that landed them a deal with Ralphs.
Today, the bakery provides its pies to over 120 local stores and restaurants across a wide area.
“We’re all about homemade. We prioritize quality; we’re not a microwave bakery,” Bolden-Pickens proudly stated.
If an Olympic athlete visits the bakery during the Games, she plans to serve them their famous sweet potato pecan pie. Reflecting on the moment they light the Olympic torch, she admits it will evoke mixed emotions, but she’s centered on her legacy and products. “It’s all about my pies and the 27th Street Bakery right now,” she concluded.
