Month: March 2023

Brand is poised for another year of record growth backed by the support of one of the strongest leadership teams in franchising.

Vicky Bakery is a brand that has always been defined by its people and a passion for serving customers that goes above and beyond to a land of fresh ingredients and unexpected flavor combinations. Vicky Bakery began 50 years ago with a vision in 1972 by founders Antonio and Gelasia Cao, who decided to open a bakery and make pastries the way they first learned in Cuba. With one foot anchored in tradition and the other firmly planted in the future, Vicky Bakery has grown to nearly 20 locations across South Florida as we continue to bake and serve our authentic and traditional wide variety of breads, pastries, desserts, breakfast items, sandwiches, cakes, coffee, and more.

With something to satisfy every appetite or portion size, our passion for service is born out of the backing our leadership team has for our rapidly growing network of bakery franchises. That support has never been more evident than it has been over the last few years.

“If there is one thing to be learned from all we’ve gone through as a country and as a brand, it is that in order to operate as a successful franchise you must provide outstanding service, nurture strong operations, cultivate a core customer base, foster resilient leadership, and possess a willingness to serve,” said Alex Santiago, CEO of Vicky Bakery. “However, as a franchisor, if you don’t have a meaningful connection with your franchisees, things can unravel quickly.”

Surrounded by a family that nurtures entrepreneurship, it seems our CEO Alex was destined to take the reins at Vicky Bakery. Sure, there were some bumps along the way, but one thing that has remained constant over our history is our insistence on building meaningful relationships with our franchisees.

Of course, financial performance, geographic availability, territory exclusivity, product innovation, and the strength of a powerful executive team are all important aspects of a successful brand – but without real human connection and a little bit of empathy, even the best brands ultimately ring hollow and rudderless. Now as we look to expand beyond South Florida and up both coasts of the state and through the center, we’re convinced we’re doing a few things right because we’ve always built our franchise culture based on trust and understanding.

“When you come into a franchise system which has a passionate executive team firmly established and you are surrounded by other owners that you can always count on for advice and mentoring – then you have a winning system,” said Santiago. “That kind of family atmosphere is a cornerstone of the Vicky Bakery brand and permeates down to our employees at the bakery level. It’s a major differentiator for us and makes a world of difference in the way we operate our stores versus the competition.”

Relationships matter both in business and in our personal lives. If there is something we’ve learned from the last year few years – it’s that. It’s something at Vicky Bakery we’ve never shied away from because we believe to be successful and grow, we must continue to forge new relationships and reinforce old ones among our franchisees. This vision has allowed Vicky Bakery to continue to grow and prosper. From our corporate support systems to our unique business model, the entire Vicky Bakery franchise system is designed to position local franchise owners for success.

With a strong brand identity, excellent franchise relationships, a passionate executive leadership team, and a customer base that is easily scalable, Vicky Bakery franchise owners are well positioned for success with strong brand positioning, full site selection and construction support, advertising and marketing that works, and comprehensive training.

To learn more or inquire why Vicky Bakery is one of the best franchises to buy, visit vickybakery.com/franchise.

From the time Vicky Bakery first opened 50 years ago in 1972, our brand has been committed to delivering quality food, a variety of choices, and a great experience. Our second outlet didn’t open until 1984 and our third came in the early 1990s. Point being, we think very deeply about growth before proceeding. Our current and ongoing expansion phase, while the biggest in our company’s history, is still 14 years in the making. Our Cuban roots and steadfast commitment to tradition have allowed us to stand out against the competition, passing along the love, time and traditions that went into making pastries originally in 1972. Today, that set of core values, along with our belief in quality, variety, convenience, and experience, still determines our direction and has kept us on solid footing as we approach nearly 20 units open.

Since day one, we have always subscribed to the idea that the best way to build a business is to exceed guest expectations while delivering upon our brand promise of incredible food and genuine service.

When it comes to guest retention and new guest acquisition, Vicky Bakery believes in a simple but deliberate approach for our brand and our franchisees – build a “people first” culture through every aspect of the business.

We’ve always said that one of the greatest things about owning a Vicky Bakery is that you become a real part of the community. While community support is critical, it’s not enough and that’s why, from day one of training, we continuously work with our franchise partners and their employees to refine the guest experience. In an increasingly competitive restaurant and retail environment, the best way to make a difference is to really take care of every individual that walks through the door.

Understanding that true success does not come from a single event, or a splashy limited time offer, we encourage our franchisees to continually invest in community building and employee training to attract and retain guests.

At Vicky Bakery, we’ve always cultivated a people first mentality. Both guests and employees, are the most important part of a Vicky Bakery experience. That’s why we greet every guest that walks through our doors. It’s a simple gesture, but an important one that goes a long way in making a direct connection. We want our guests to know that we’re going to take care of them like family from the moment they walk in.

Long before we began franchising, our brand was built with an operator’s mindset. While we are a franchise brand, we continue to own and develop corporate units. This allows us to remain connected to the business at all levels of operations. We understand what it takes to run a successful bakery and that’s integrated into all aspects of our business model.

Additionally, all franchisees benefit from ongoing training, research and development of new products, operational support, and business counseling. From our corporate support systems to our unique business model, the Vicky Bakery franchise system is designed to position franchise owners for success.

Every decision we make regarding guest acquisition and retention has deep roots in exceeding expectations. That’s the key to building an individual bakery and it’s integral to the long-term success of our brand.

For more information about owning a Vicky Bakery in your community, click here.

In the fast-casual or quick service game, Vicky Bakery is always pursuing the catering bullseye. For us, catering’s appeal is clear: it’s a mechanism to spur trial and drive brand familiarity, an opportunity to heighten a bakery’s marketplace penetration, and a chance to drive upward of 15–20 percent to the top line while incurring only incremental labor costs. We sometimes like to think of it as “revenue gravy.”

The flow-through to the bottom line of a franchisee can be significant and meaningful, and that’s why Vicky Bakery continues to put a big focus on catering because catering broadens our reach in so many ways.

However, we recognize that catering isn’t a fire-and-forget type program. There is nuance involved and that’s why we work with all our franchisees to get it right. The opportunity with catering remains massive, because convenience is driving everything and that is especially true for Vicky Bakery because we can offer some competitively impressive price points. The sky is the limit for those who do it well.

Unified from Top to Bottom

 

From marketing and operations to R&D and HR, catering touches everybody in the Vicky Bakery business. That’s why we’ve developed the processes necessary to ensure each franchisee can execute against it while remaining committed to our brand promise.

Minimizing impact to operations

The beauty of catering is that as a bakery, we can often get orders out the door before the rush of a specific daypart. And we’re always mindful of hustling to fill catering orders at the expense of in-store business. With that in mind, Vicky Bakery is always investigating different way to streamline catering and create synergy between in-store and off-premises dining.

Why We’re Bullish on Catering

Catering was the fastest growing channel in the restaurant space prior to the pandemic, outpacing overall industry growth by 50%. That momentum came to an abrupt halt when shutdowns went into effect and anxiety took hold. Now, however, the catering business seems to be making quite the comeback – even exceeding pre-pandemic numbers in some instances. This is a great channel to capture high-value buyers and service high headcount events that can get our Vicky Bakery brand in front of dozens, or hundreds, of potential customers.

Franchise Information

For more information about franchising with Vicky Bakery, please click here.

2022 was simply great at Vicky Bakery as we celebrated one of the most successful years in our brand history. With a sharp focus on growth and unit level economics, we signed multiple new franchise agreements to develop nearly a dozen new locations in the coming years. Of those agreements signed, several were multi-unit development agreements to bring our first-ever locations to Orlando, and Ave Maria on the Southwest coast of Florida, among other markets. The first locations resulting from these agreements are projected to open this year.

Our Strategic Franchise Growth

In addition to the new units currently in our development pipeline, our existing franchise partners also achieved positive increases in year-over-year systemwide sales and same-store sales, respectively. This marked the second consecutive year we have experienced positive sales growth and increases in average unit volumes. Vicky Bakery also opened new locations in downtown Ft. Lauderdale, Homestead, and Coral Springs, FL expanding our footprint across South Florida, with new franchised locations planned for Westchester, Boca Raton, East Pembroke Pines, and Plantation, among other communities.

Additional Florida Expansion

In addition to development across Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, Vicky Bakery will be expanding our presence up and down the state with new bakeries set to open in Palm Beach, Orlando, and in the Jackson Health District near Downtown Miami. In 2023, we’re continuing to drive our franchise development efforts where we’re already experiencing great success while looking to grow up the West Coast of Florida into Naples, Sarasota, Tampa, and east into the Treasure Coast.

Growth from Within

A true sign of a healthy brand is when existing franchisees are fueling much of your ongoing success and such is the case with our ownership group of Alicio Pina, Nosbely Toledo, and Nosdiel Silva who got their start with just one Vicky Bakery and now own 7 locations across South Florida including the team’s newest one that just opened in Coral Springs. Our mix of internal growth and new franchisees in Orlando, Ave Maria, and Palm Beach is a testament to the strength of our Vicky Bakery brand and the demand for our menu from existing and new customers.

Menu Innovation

In addition to our significant franchise development success in 2022, Vicky Bakery remained committed to menu innovation, launching limited time offers that drove unit sales and increased franchisees’ bottom line. In 2022, we introduced items such as our limited-edition Havana Club Rum Cake and increased focus on our savory items and sandwiches to bolster our dayparts and topline revenue for our franchisees.

Franchise Information

For more information on franchising with Vicky Bakery, visit vickybakery.com/franchise.

When Vicky Bakery, Miami’s beloved original family-owned Cuban bakery, was founded in 1972 by Antonio and Gelasia Cao, they were confident their idea of a neighborhood bakery had the potential to be something extraordinary. Today, it’s clear that inclination was right. Founded 50 years ago, Vicky Bakery has grown from a small Hialeah, FL shop into a franchised network of bakeries that continues to offer guests a menu reminiscent of the way the way it used to be in Cuba while introducing new products along the way. We’ve established a focused and strategic footprint in the $17 billion U.S. bakery café industry which has allowed us to stand out against the competition for decades.  And with South Florida, Southwest Florida, Central Florida, and other major markets across the Sunshine State and Southeast open for development, Vicky Bakery makes a great investment opportunity for those looking to grow their portfolio.

With that said, here are 5 reasons to buy a Vicky Bakery now.

Passionate Customer Base

When it comes to guest retention and new guest acquisition, Vicky Bakery believes in a simple but deliberate approach for our brand and our franchisees – build a “people first” culture through every aspect of the bakery.

We’ve always said that one of the greatest things about owning a Vicky Bakery is that you become a real part of the community. While community support is critical, it’s not enough and that’s why, from day one of training, we continuously work with our franchise partners and their employees to refine the guest experience. In an increasingly competitive restaurant and retail environment, the best way to make a difference is to really take care of every individual that walks through the door.

A Competitive Product

Vicky Bakery’s high-quality products make it stand out from others in the bakery and cafe segment. From day one, Vicky Bakery has been carrying on our commitment to fresh, fast, and flavorful food that honors our traditional Cuban recipes while also going above and beyond just bread and coffee to a land of fresh ingredients and unexpected flavor combinations. Created in our own kitchens, these tastes include fresh, homemade breakfast sandwiches, award-winning croquetas and pastelitos, specialty sandwiches, cakes, desserts, and even a vegan Cuban bread, if that’s your thing.

Dedicated Support Structure & Training

When joining the Vicky Bakery system, franchisees are guaranteed a high level of support and training. Our team has created a robust center that offers support in everything from real estate site selection to marketing, operations training, technology, and more. We want to make sure franchisees receive the training and tools necessary to make you successful. It’s one thing to say, ‘I want to open a Vicky Bakery,’ but another to ensure you have the tools and capabilities to succeed.

Bakeries of the Future

With an ever-growing history of product innovation, a focus on exceptional customer service, and a one-of-a-kind brand identity, Vicky Bakery has been committed to building franchisee profitability since our inception. Looking forward, we continue to invest in diversifying our real estate offering to fit into a wide variety of formats.

From endcap to in-line, and the potential for drive thru, food trucks and even ghost kitchens – our new design provides a better Vicky Bakery experience that adapts to today’s busy guests, while still placing a focus on restaurant profitability and the communities we serve.

Community First

Last, but certainly not least, our franchisees are active members of their communities. This means we encourage you to work as hard outside your four walls as you do inside them. From sponsoring local events to hosting different organizations inside your bakeries, participating in local business associations, and serving food at community festivals among other activities – all can lead to growth and additional brand awareness for your Vicky Bakery.

Franchise Information

To learn more or inquire why Vicky Bakery is one of the best franchises to buy, visit vickybakery.com/franchise.