A MODERN
CUBAN-AMERICAN BAKERY,
a Recipe for success
initial investment
In Line Retail Center*
*Costs vary from market to market, size per square foot, construction, equipment, furniture, etc.
median gross sales
average gross sales**
**Based on 12 company owned CAO Bakery outlets that have been open for more than one year an have not had a change of ownership.
ABOUT CAO
CAO Bakery & Café is named after the Cao family whose baking traditions spans three generations. The word, CAO, is also an acronym for Cuban American Original, which is reflected in the brand’s mission to provide the best of Cuban baking in a warm and inviting café atmosphere. CAO is famous for their Pastelitos, traditional Cuban pastries, and for their variety of desserts that are made with the same recipes passed down from generation to generation.
CAO is led by South Florida residents and childhood friends: Antonio (Tony) Cao and Carlos De Varona. Tony, a third generation baker with over 20 year of baking experience, leads the team with his passion for baking and vision for expansion. Behind the numbers and financials is Carlos, with an extensive background in business and real estate. As childhood friends, Tony and Carlos grew up in Hialeah, Florida. They met in grade school and remained friends. Carlos studied business and graduated with a Finance degree, while Tony followed his family legacy and pursued his passion for baking. Their paths crossed again in 2014 when Carlos expressed interest in opening a bakery. At the time, Tony owned two bakeries and was ready to expand with a partner. In 2015, they opened their first stand alone and 24 hour location, making it the most successful location for the brand and flagship store. The duo knew they had built something special with that location as it quickly became a well-known Miami landmark for pastelitos and cafecitos. The growth of the brand happened quickly as the demand for Cuban food and fast casual eateries became more popular. Today CAO’s have 14 locations throughout South Florida. The brand vision is to introduce CAO across Florida.
Cheers to the next Cafecito in your neighborhood.
who we are
CAO Bakery & Café is led by South Florida residents and childhood friends. Antonio (Tony) Cao and Carlos De Varona. Tony, a third-generation baker with over 20 years of baking experience, leads the team with his passion for baking and vision for expansion. Behind the numbers and financials is Carlos, with an extensive background in business and real estate. He is responsible for business growth and development. Click on the photos to learn more about our upper management team.
CEO
Tony Cao
CFO
Carlos De Varona
CMO + Operations
Yvette Cao
Accounting
Amy Giron
what makes us famous
At CAO baking is a family tradition. I learned to bake from my grandfather and learned how to run the business from my dad. I watched closely and took notes from the best as they made our last name, Cao, popular in Miami for having the best pastries and desserts in town. Our bakeries are known for our Pastelitos, traditional Cuban pastries. As a third generation baker, my vision was to evolve the brand while keeping true to our Cuban roots. We took our classic recipes one step further and introduced unique products like the “Medio Dia” – an award winning sandwich made from a pastelito. Today, our bakeries have over 1 million visitors a year. The store buildouts are modern and we have new additions to the menu, yet our recipes and culture remain the same.
OUR STORY
As childhood friends, Tony and I, grew up in Hialeah, Florida. We met in grade school and remained friends throughout high school. I studied business and graduated with an international business degree, while Tony followed his family’s legacy and pursued his passion for baking. Our paths crossed again in 2014 when I expressed interest in opening a bakery. At the time, Tony owned two bakeries and was ready to expand with a partner. In late 2015, we opened our first stand alone and 24 hour location, making it our most successful and flagship store. We knew we had built something special with this location as it quickly became a well known Miami landmark for cafectios and pastelitos. Just a year later, we opened our 2nd location in North Miami Beach, which also grew into our second leading store. Our growth happened quickly as the demand for Cuban food and fast casual eateries became more popular. Today we have 11 locations throughout South Florida. Our vision is to introduce CAO across Florida and one day, nationwide. Cheers to the next cafecito in your neighborhood.
franchise benefits
A PROVEN BUSINESS MODEL THAT OFFERS:
*Round the clock support by a management team committed to your success
*Support with scouting locations, exterior and interior design and maintenance assistance
*A comprehensive training program, on-site opening assistance and ongoing operational guidance
*Select the footprint option that works best for you: inline retail centers, stand alone location or drive thru, kiosk (food halls, stadiums, airports)
*Creative branding materials and packaging
