Popular Miami's Vicky Bakery bringing Cuban-style treats to Royal Palm Beach

Valentina Palm, Palm Beach Post
Updated ·3 min read

Dec. 4 update: Vicky Bakery is now open at the Village Shoppes plaza at Southern Boulevard and State Road 7 in Royal Palm Beach.

Both it and the suburban Boca Raton store are open Monday to Saturday, from 6:30 a.m. to 7p.m., and on Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Original story:

ROYAL PALM BEACH — Vicky Bakery, a family-owned, Cuban-inspired Miami chain, opened two new stores in Palm Beach County.

The bakeries in Royal Palm Beach and suburban Boca Raton pour strong, sweet Cuban coladas and serve crunchy croquetas and fluffy cheese-and-guava pastries, as other Vicky's stores do daily at locations across Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

The store west of Boca Raton opened in October at Lyons Road and Kimberly Boulevard, near Southwinds Golf Course and Olympic Heights High School. The Royal Palm Beach store is in the Village Shoppes plaza at Southern Boulevard and State Road 7.

Vicky Bakery, which opened in 1972, is known across South Florida for its guava pastries. It is opening its first stores in Palm Beach County in 2023 at locations in Royal Palm Beach and suburban Boca Raton.
Vicky Bakery, which opened in 1972, is known across South Florida for its guava pastries. It is opening its first stores in Palm Beach County in 2023 at locations in Royal Palm Beach and suburban Boca Raton.

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Vicky Bakery's roots stretch to Cuba in the 1950s.

The family-owned business opened its first bakery over 50 years ago in Hialeah, and it still serves customers today. The company has more than a dozen locations in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, where it has become a staple for Latin coffee, food and pastries.

Vicky Bakery's roots are in Cuba, where Antonio Cao met his wife Gelasia during the 1950s.

They worked together at a bakery called "La Vencedora" — which is Spanish for "The Winner" — where Antonio was a pastry chef and Gelasia a cashier. They later immigrated together to Miami when Fidel Castro took over the island nation.

Steak sandwiches like this pan con bistec are staples at Vicky Bakery, which opened in 1972 and is opening its first stores in Palm Beach County in 2023 at locations in Royal Palm Beach and suburban Boca Raton.
Steak sandwiches like this pan con bistec are staples at Vicky Bakery, which opened in 1972 and is opening its first stores in Palm Beach County in 2023 at locations in Royal Palm Beach and suburban Boca Raton.

Upon their arrival, they continued to work in bakeries until opening their own in 1972. Ever since then, family members leading the business have led the drive to open more stores.

Lola Hernandez, the company's business director, says the Caos' commitment to tradition has allowed their brand to stand out against the competition.

"They are still very much involved in the taste profiles of our products and keeping that same integrity that they brought from Cuba," Hernandez said. "We want to continue sharing this beautiful bakery with other families."

What is on the menu at Vicky's?

Vicky Bakery sells freshly baked, soft Cuban bread; sweet desserts, pastries and cakes; and salty empanadas, sandwiches and croquettes.

Here are some of their signature offerings:

  • Pastelitos: Pastries filled with cheese, guava, coconut, pizza and meat.

  • Croquetas: Crunchy croquettes with a creamy filling of ham, cheese, chicken or beef.

  • Subs: The Cuban sandwich, with pork and pickles; the "Croqueta preparada," stuffed with croquettes; and the "Cantipalo," Vicky's take on the ham and Swiss cheese sub.

  • Tequenos: Sticks with cheese and both cheese and guava.

  • Palmeritas: Elephant-ear-shaped puff pastries.

  • Drinks: Colada, or sweet espresso shots; café con leche, or Cuban coffee with milk; and natural fruit juices.

Online pandemic sales brought Vicky to Palm Beach County

During the pandemic, Vicky Bakery began selling their breads, empanadas and pastries online. The company started shipping frozen treats nationwide and also partnered with Goldbelly, which delivers staple foods from restaurants around the country.

Vicky Bakery, which opened in 1972, is known across South Florida for its beef pastries, like the dozen seen here. It is opening its first stores in Palm Beach County in 2023 at locations in Royal Palm Beach and suburban Boca Raton.
Vicky Bakery, which opened in 1972, is known across South Florida for its beef pastries, like the dozen seen here. It is opening its first stores in Palm Beach County in 2023 at locations in Royal Palm Beach and suburban Boca Raton.

Hernandez says they quickly noticed the demand from customers in Boca Raton, Royal Palm Beach and West Palm Beach.

"We just continued to get all these for requests for pastries," said Hernandez. "It's a new demographic that we weren't even exposed to."

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Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Loxahatchee and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on Twitter at @ValenPalmB. Support local journalism: Subscribe today

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Vicky Bakery opening Palm Beach County restaurants