Red Ribbon Bakeshop coming soon to Pinellas Park in Florida, Filipino desserts galore

A new Filipino bakery is coming soon to Pinellas Park in Florida called Red Ribbon Bakeshop as Tampa Bay sees more Filipino brands entering the local economy. There is no confirmed opening date just yet, but the bakery is already listed on Google and has signage up next door to Jollibee.

The planned location is at 4053 Park Boulevard North, Pinellas Park, Florida 33781.

They sell a variety of items including empanadas, cakes, rolls, pan de sal bread, butter mamon, ensaymada, which is soft, moist bread topped with butter, sugar and cheesy deliciousness, and a variety of other sweets and Filipino pastries including an Ube Overload Cake.

For those who don’t know, Ube is a purple yam that is often used in dessert dishes from the Philippines. Many people relate it to taro due to the color it has, but the taste of Ube is often sweeter – especially when applied to dessert dishes. One of the most common ways to find it around town is in ice cream form at your local Asian grocer.

Red Ribbon Bakeshop started in 1979 as a hobby-induced business in Timog, Quezon City. Quezon City is located on the Guadalupe Plateau, just northeast of Manila, in the Philippines. The first Red Ribbon location in the United States opened in 1984 in West Covina, California.

It has grown to over 450 outlets all over the Philippines and in over 30 stores in the United States, with locations in California, Nevada, Washington, Hawaii, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Texas and Illinois.

Red Ribbon was acquired in 2015 by Jollibee Foods Corporation. Jollibee had a massive opening in Pinellas Park with long lines a few years ago right before the pandemic hit. Jollibee told The Manila Times during the acquisition, “Red Ribbon is a strong brand. It stands for high-quality cakes and pastries and enjoys a reputation for great tasting food just like JFC’s other brands. Red Ribbon will complement the fast-food segments we are at present serving.”

Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jollibee pressed forward and opened over 12 Jollibee fast food restaurants across North America in 2020 and enjoyed double-digit sales growth. 28 new Jollibee locations are planned for 2021. The goal is to hit 300 stores by 2024. The growth of Jollibee and Red Ribbon no doubt will go hand in hand.

Source: The Manila Times