Valerio's Tropical Bakeshop Set to Sweeten New York's Little Manila with First East Coast Location in Woodside, Queens

Valerio’s Tropical Bakeshop, the West Coast Filipino bakery chain with roots dating back to 1994, is branching out to New York's Little Manila with its first location set to open in Woodside, Queens. Occupying the space once home to the Irish sports bar, Saints and Sinners, Valerio’s is slated to make its East Coast debut at 59-21 Roosevelt Avenue, as per reports from Eater. The bar, which had been a neighborhood fixture for over two decades before closing in August 2022 due to "unexpected circumstances," was known for hosting vibrant Irish music sessions and sporting events.

While an official opening date for the bakery has not been announced due to delays with equipment for the new location, the arrival of Valerio’s in the bustling area of Little Manila places it among esteemed company, including Red Ribbon Bakeshop and Jollibee. As reported by the Sunnyside Post, Valerio’s is known for its wide variety of Filipino pastries, most notably pandesal, a traditional breakfast bread roll offered in several variations.

The bakery chain was first founded by Ariosto R. Valerio in West Covina, California, in an effort to continue his family's legacy of baking, with his parents having established their own bakery in Manila in 1965, before expanding to Southern California. Known for treats like buko pie and baked siopao, Valerio’s now operates multiple locations across California, Nevada, Chicago, Hawaii, and even Canada, according to Eater.