Cidrines, the artisan wholesale bakery, announces that its popular Hispanic breads and pastries have reached the milestone of 500 stores in the mainland United States. Cidrines breads are currently available in grocery and retail stores, including Walmart, Winn-Dixie, and neighborhood supermarkets in Florida in the first phase of its national expansion. In south Florida, 13 Sam's Clubs now carry fresh baked Cidrines pastries in colorful blue and yellow boxes.

Cidrines has long been a familiar favorite of Puerto Ricans and is now expanding the widespread appeal of its pan sobao (sweet bread) and the family recipe for the Puerto Rican criollo bread to mainstream and Hispanic consumers alike.

Cidrines is reporting significant brand and purchase interest since arrival to supermarket bakeries. The biggest positive surprise of the national launch thus far has been the "huge mainstream consumer interest in the bread and pastry products, far beyond the traditional core of our Puerto Rican consumers," according to CEO Jaime Fortuño. 

Cidrines' marketing push invites consumers in Florida to try their artisan bread and pastry products as a perfect pair with coffee in the morning, as the core of a lunch sandwich and as a staple at the dinner table. Since 1978, Cidrines has established a history of delivering fresh bread and pastries to consumers in Puerto Rico. Retail distribution locations have grown with consumer interest across Florida since Cidrines' arrival. The company plans to continue national expansion to new cities in the US, particularly cross-cultural markets such as New York, Houston, Philadelphia and Chicago.

"We are already seeing a burgeoning demand for our pan sobao and pastries in additional markets in and outside of Florida through our social media campaign, where we are seeing extraordinary consumer engagement," commented Christine Sepulveda, Cidrines' vice president sales for the US market.

Consumers will find Cidrines bread products inside of their innovative branded "bakery in a box" at many Walmart and Winn Dixie stores, and also in the bakery sections of stores. Pastry products including guava, guava and cheese, and quesitos (cheese turnovers) are available at 13 Sam's Club stores in southern Florida.

The company's brand focus at this time is to introduce its products to the consumer, with an emphasis that Cidrines products are all about high-quality and freshness. Pan sobao is a no-preservative bread product, baked daily at each retail location. Whether the consumer is Hispanic or not, there is a cultural relevance as it relates to bread. Bread, when fresh, is soft to the touch, and pastries firm, with golden flakes.

As such, as part of kick-starting its US presence, Cidrines is sponsoring and supporting the Miami Marlins Foundation's Taste of Miami event later in February, and will award a culinary scholarship to a winning amateur chef using Cidrines products in creative recipes at the regionally acclaimed foodie event that kicks off Miami Food and Wine Week.

In further commenting on the US expansion of Cidrines, Fortuño added, "We are very excited about the early feedback we are already receiving from our retailers and customers about our delicious products. We invite our customers to enjoy our tasty breads and pastries, our Latino heritage and culture of breaking bread with family and the new niche in ethnic breads. This is the new trend in ethnic breads for all to enjoy."