It has been nearly three months since 85°C Bakery Cafe opened its latest location in Santee, Calif., joining other recent openings in Roseville, Modesto and Jurupa Valley.
85°C Bakery Cafe is a global powerhouse that originated in Taiwan in 2003. Since then, it has grown into an international brand, opening its first overseas location in Australia in 2006 and its first U.S. location in Irvine in 2008. The company is currently headquartered in Brea.
The lines may be shorter, but the enthusiasm hasn’t really died down since San Diego County’s newest location opened in early May. Some of the bakery’s most popular items are still flying off the shelves, quickly replenished by freshly baked goods streaming out of the kitchen — from creamy egg tarts with their flaky crusts to buns filled with everything from custard to taro paste.
The expansion into East County reflects the brand’s strategic shift away from bustling city centers and high-traffic malls toward family-centric neighborhoods.
This latest opening comes as the company approaches its 100th store milestone in the U.S., a journey that has seen the brand successfully enter diverse markets from New York to Minnesota.
Dave Lazaro, marketing director for 85°C Bakery Cafe, discusses the Santee location and the brand’s rapid growth across the United States.
Q: What factors do you consider when deciding to open a new location?
A: In our early years, we looked at family neighborhoods, universities, city centers and malls. We quickly learned that we are best suited in the family and community atmosphere. We are the bakery that families go to when they want to grab a dozen breads to share or purchase a cake for a family party. Or, the bakery where friends will gather to grab some breads and enjoy sea salt coffee or boba milk teas together.
We are also active with our communities and especially the schools in the neighborhoods. But it’s harder to get involved when our store is inside a mall or business heavy city center.
Q: When you decide to open a new location, how do you decide that the actual physical location is the right fit?
A: To some degree, it’s tied to the first question. We identify where families are spending their time throughout the week or on the weekends. Ease of parking for our customers and good store-front visibility are also important to us.
Q: Your company appears to be on a big growth spree. Tell us more about that.
A: We are excited that we will get to celebrate our 100th store opening this year. It’s been a long road. There’s been quite a few challenges, but it’s been a great adventure so far. It’s been a privilege to have such an amazing fan base.
Whether it’s our first New York location, first Minnesota location, or the 60th California location, we always meet the nicest customers who express excitement that we’ve opened up in their neighborhood.
We’ve heard so many nice stories about how a customer has experienced our bakery through friends or family in a city where we already have stores. It’s the most gratifying feeling to know that we make customers happy when they visit our stores.