Antonio and Gelasia Cao fled Cuba more than a half century ago, and they did something in Florida they never could have done in their communist homeland. They bought their own business.
In 1972, the Cao family purchased Vicky Bakery, then a standalone business in Hialeah, near Miami.
Now, their brand of Cuban-style baked pastries has grown and migrated to Southwest Florida.
A Fort Myers location just opened at 4429 Cleveland Ave., at El Dorado Plaza, just east of the Ginza sushi restaurant.
This marks the 26th Vicky Bakery location, following the 25th in Ave Maria in Collier County and preceding the 27th, which is slated to begin construction soon and open about one year from now at 602 Del Prado Blvd. in Cape Coral. That will give the region three Vicky Bakery locations.
Andretti Tomeu, who is Managing Partner Amy Cao’s godson, will be managing the Fort Myers location with his girlfriend Milly Telle. They will be carrying onward the Cao family tradition in Cape Coral, as well as the franchise owner.
“You want to go somewhere with the recognition of the brand, where people know what it is,” Tomeu said. “You don’t want to start somewhere where nobody has ever heard of you.
We chose Southwest Florida because so many people over the past 10, 15 years have moved out this way.”
Vicky Bakery sells cakes, pastries, cookies and other baked goods. The menu in recent years has expanded to include breakfast, lunch and dinner items, such as Cuban and chicken sandwiches, pork, beef and chicken plates, in the $10-to-$14 range.
“It’s traditional Cuban recipes but modernized over the years now,” Tomeu said. “We sell sandwiches and hot plates, which before were just traditional bakery items. There’s all the Cuban favorites. All the pastelitos and croquetas and sweet desserts that everybody loves.”
Tomeu went with a soft launch. Within the first week, the Fort Myers Police Department had a few officers dine there and post about it on social media, giving the new location a boost. Tomeu will host an official grand opening in mid-January.
The Fort Myers location opens at 6 a.m. every day and is open until 7 p.m. except for Sundays, when it closes at 4 p.m.
Vicky Bakery has 25 employees, but Tomeu said he anticipates having to make more hires soon.
“This is becoming a big success in a short period of time,” Tomeu said.
As for his favorite menu item, Tomeu didn’t hesitate.
“If I could only eat one more pastry for the rest of my life and that was the one I would have to stick with, it’s the Guava and cheese,” Tomeu said. “It’s something about the salty and sweet that does it for me.”
