CORAL GABLES, Fla. — South Florida is shaped by immigrants. They are our coworkers, our neighbors, our friends, and members of our own families. And for many, coming here means rebuilding their lives from the ground up.
One Venezuelan man knocked on door after door, looking for work, only to be turned away. But the opportunity he was searching for wasn’t behind a desk or a job application.
Meet Maximo Mendoza, affectionately known as Grandpa Max.
He only speaks Spanish, but as we all know, food is the universal language!
While his hands once built buildings as an engineer, they now make pies with every buttery crust made from scratch.
At 78 years old, Grandpa Max is reinventing himself.
He says even if you only have one year left, you have to live it to the fullest.
Born and raised in Venezuela, Grandpa Max built a career in construction.
When the Chavez regime took power, the new government closed the company he worked for.
So Grandpa Max started over, this time on a farm.
Once again, the communist government took everything away.
Four years ago, Grandpa Max and his wife, armed with two suitcases, came to the U.S. for their granddaughter’s first communion, and never went back.
Many years before, their U.S.-born daughter filed the paperwork to bring her parents here legally.
In Miami, Grandpa Max delivered Uber Eats.
He applied to jobs everywhere – at grocery stores and construction sites, but no one gave him a chance.
“I don’t feel old,” he said. “I feel strong.”
Grandpa Max’s strength brought him to his kitchen in Coral Gables.
He said it wasn’t easy as he didn’t know how to cook, but he learned.
His signature chocolate filling must set for two hours before he can lay the delicate strips on top -- a technique that took him more than a month to master.
He started small, selling pies at the Key Biscayne Farmers Market.
Now he makes about 20 pies a day.
“Working makes you feel alive and useful,” he told Local 10 in Spanish.
Thousands of immigrants arrive in South Florida, like Grandpa Max did, with degrees, experience and dreams.
But often, their futures look very different.
Grandpa Max says don’t give up as hard work, always with care and love, pays off.
He hopes to deliver a small taste of satisfaction to everyone who buys one of his pies.
His wife, meanwhile, wraps each pie with pride.
She said she never imagined her husband would end up here, making pies.
Grandpa Max’s journey from engineer to baker shows it’s never too late to start over. And the sweet part? You don’t have to wait to taste one of his pies. You can place your orders now no matter where you live, by texting him through WhatsApp at +57-320-371-8056.
Small, personal pies are $10, and the big ones, which are enough for 12 people, are $55.
Grandpa Max tells us he is now dreaming of opening a small bakery one day. Just recently, Grandpa Max started shipping his pies across the country, delivering more than dessert, but a taste of perseverance.
To follow Max & Crust on Instagram, click here.
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
