Cao Bakery & Café is moving into the former Char-Hut location on Taft Street in Pembroke Pines, according to the operator's Instagram. The expansion marks the brand's latest South Florida footprint move, bringing its Cuban café lineup — croquetas, pastelitos, Cuban sandwiches, cafecito, and baked goods — to a corridor that has been without a dedicated Cuban bakery presence.
Cao Bakery is operated by the family behind Vicky Bakery, the longstanding Miami-area institution that built its name on pastelitos and counter-service Cuban staples. Cao represents the family's second-generation concept, scaled for faster growth and broader market reach across Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
The Taft Street address is a notable pickup. Char-Hut, the regional fast-food chain known for its char-broiled burgers and hot dogs, had operated locations across South Florida for decades before its footprint began contracting. Taking over an established quick-service shell gives Cao Bakery a plug-and-play buildout advantage — existing hood systems, drive-through potential, and name recognition on a busy suburban arterial.
The operator has not announced a confirmed opening date. No permitting records or lease details were included in the Instagram announcement, so the timeline should be treated as pending.
For Pembroke Pines, the move fits a broader pattern: suburban Broward corridors that spent years defined by chain quick-service are increasingly absorbing independent and family-operated South Florida concepts as Cuban and Latin café culture pushes well north of its traditional Miami-Dade base. Whether Cao's Taft Street location accelerates that shift or simply fills a vacant pad is worth watching when the build-out schedule becomes public.
