OPENING ALERT

Viral 85°C Bakery Café opens 2nd San Antonio shop in Windcrest

85°C Bakery Café is making its Windcrest debut.

85°C Bakery Café / Facebook

After debuting in San Antonio in the summer of 2024, viral Taiwanese sweet shop 85°C Bakery Café is doubling up in San Antonio. The international chain will bring signature sea salt coffee and cheese dogs to 5253 Walzem Rd. in Windcrest with a grand opening on June 26.

The bakery chain has over 1,000 outposts across the globe, but has only begun revving up its U.S. presence over the last decade. The company opened its first San Antonio cafe in June 2024 with long lines out the door — a phenomenon that has followed the uber-popular concept at almost all of its openings.

Named for the ideal temperature for coffee, 85°C Bakery Café first gained fame for its sea salt foam, topping everything from hot chocolate to Oolong tea. There’s also a large selection of non-salinated sippers, including espresso drinks, boba milk teas, and blended drinks like a mango creamsicle.

The affordable baked goods have just as large a fan club. The expansive menu includes an eye-popping assortment of sweet buns in flavors such as coconut milk, chocolate, taro, ube, and matcha. The bakery cases are overflowing with danishes, strudels, milk bread, and simple brioche.

For a light lunch, guests can opt for potato croquettes, a Hawaiian chicken pastry, a spicy sausage roll, or sung buns — a Taiwanese specialty topped with dry shredded pork and a mayo-based sauce. There’s also a trio of sandwiches like tuna salad with sundried tomatoes and Cheddar.

The opening of the Windcrest 85°C continues a boom in Asian chains coming to San Antonio. In March, South Korean bakery Paris Baguette revealed plans for a new Stone Oak location. Meanwhile, Filipino fried chicken chain Jollibee is eyeing a 15-unit expansion.

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COMING ATTRACTIONS

Buzzy Jollibee chicken franchise eyes massive San Antonio expansion

Photo courtesy of Jollibee

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Cult-favorite fast-casual chain Jollibee wants to put a chicken in every pot — or at least fry it up at every San Antonio intersection. The Philippine fast food giant is eyeing the Alamo City for a massive expansion that could bring up to 15 new locations in the coming years.

The buzzy brand has only been in San Antonio since 2020, when it debuted an outpost at 5033 NW Loop 410. But according to a rep, the company is seeking “white space,” otherwise known as untapped markets, in our franchise-friendly city.

Founded in 1978, Jollibee has long been the Philippines’ top fast food restaurant. But, starting in 2014, the brand has pursued an aggressive growth strategy that has made it an international phenomenon with more than 1,700 outposts across Asia, the Middle East, the U.K., and the U.S.

Part of that growth is a global shift in consumption habits towards chicken; part is a trend towards more varied regional flavors. Jollibee is best known for its “Chickenjoy” chicken, soaked in a mildly spicy marinade, then fried up with extra-crispy, golden-brown skin. The late Anthony Bourdain was among Jollibee's fans, calling it “the wackiest, jolliest place on Earth,” during a Manila Parts Unknown episode.

Jollibee also serves up a few dishes that may be unfamiliar to some American palates. The signature Jolly Spaghetti slathers noodles in a tomato-banana ketchup sauce, topped with ground beef, hot dogs, and shredded cheese.

The Jollibee rep did not give a timeline for the expansion and did not return a request for the specific neighborhoods the chain is targeting. They did say that the corporate execs are attracted to Joint Base San Antonio because of the large Filipino-American community.

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