Although the American Dream of coming to the United States and making a way for oneself sounds charming, I often wonder how possible this truly is. However, a bakery in South Florida has the ultimate success story, showing that in certain cases, one really can move to the states with nothing and become successful. Vicky Bakery, which has been in the area for almost 50 years, is growing in size and prosperity as it expands to new locations.
The Origin of Vicky Bakery
Vicky Bakery was founded by Antonio and Gelasia Cao, who met in the late 50's working at La Vencedora. The couple got married and were enjoying their newlywed life when they were suddenly uprooted from Cuba, forced to immigrate to Miami as political exiles during the Fidel Castro regime.
The bakery posted on Instagram recently, "We left our querida isla in the 60s when the Castro Revolution wanted to wipe away our dreams, but a piece of our heart is still home at La Vencedora on the corner of Calzada Avenue and Real Street. We'll never forget the friends, family, and home we left behind."
Upon moving to the U.S. the young couple managed to save up and buy a bakery in Hialeah, despite language and cultural barriers. In 1972, they founded Vicky Bakery, which sells traditional Cuban pastries and sandwiches.
A New Generation
Eventually, their children expanded the bakery to 17 different locations, a far stretch from its humble, mom-and-pop beginnings. Now, as they continue to grow in popularity and success, the bakery is looking to expand every further with a group of franchisees to open the business across the nation.
The bakery has locations across Southern Florida, from near Fort Lauderdale to near Homestead, Florida, and fans of the family business are excited to see where it will go next.
The Menu
Vicky Bakery's Cuban pastries, or Cuban pastelitos, are a family recipe that's been passed down through generation to continue the authentic Cubano aspect to their menu. Beloved for their Cuban bread, Cuban sandwiches, empanadas, flan and croquettes, the bakery serves a wide variety of delicious products to please anyone.
The Vicky Sandwich, which is a croissant with jamon and queso quizo (ham and Swiss cheese), is a delicious breakfast choice to be paired with one of the bakery's tasty coffee options like cafe con leche, cortadito or colada. One can also enjoy a croqueta preparada, which is another cheese sandwich that includes ham, Swiss cheese, and pork. For those looking to avoid eating in, the bakery offers contact-free delivery and curbside-pickup at various locations.
All reviews of Vicky Bakery sing high praise to the beloved Cuban bakery, one review saying "Vicky bakery feels like the OG Cuban bakery...I typically credit this particular store with the best pastelitos de guayaba and trastada. The tostada is often a perfect balance of crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and buttery in the inside. The guayaba pastelitos are also typically crunchy on the outside, soft in the inside, and filled with lots of guava goodness."
Vicky Bakery is as authentic as it is delicious, and we can only hope that they'll expand across the country to give everyone a taste of their Cuban pastelitos!
You can order some of their delicious treats on Goldbelly.
