Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

FILIPINOS in New York defied the near-freezing weather and snow showers last Friday, Jan. 8, to go to the opening of the new Red Ribbon store in Woodside.

This is the bakery chain’s first branch in New York, and the third overall in the East Coast after opening a branch at Journal Square in Jersey City in 2006 and Bergenfield last year.

"We really wanted to open as early as December, but we encountered the usual hitches in the city. Now that we’re all set, we’re here," exclaimed Maria Lourdes Villamayor, Vice President and Head of East Coast Operations for Red Ribbon and Jollibee.

Villamayor said that both Red Ribbon and Jollibee have been operating in the West Coast for almost more than a decade now and that it took them years of planning to finally venture into the East Coast.

"It has always been in the horizon, the dream and the desire to open here. I guess we were not yet ready then so we worked hard and we studied the market," said Villamayor, who was cross-posted to her current position from the Manila office.

Located along the busy Roosevelt Ave. in the Queens/Woodside area, Red Ribbon is a welcome addition to the growing list of Filipino businesses that have called the neighborhood home.

Jollibee, which opened February 2009 to long lines and much fanfare, is two blocks away. Krystal’s, another famous Filipino eatery is four blocks away, as are other establishments ranging from remittance centers to Filipino markets, salons and cargo delivery.

Red Ribbon’s newest store also boasts of a brand new and modern look that uses rich and lively red-orange-soft butter accents and the bright and colorful array of delicious cakes and breads. The comfortable dining area can comfortably seat as many as 36.

The bakeshop’s classic favorites and bestsellers such as the Mango Cake, Ube Cake, Choco Mocha Crunch, Black Forest, taisan, mamon, pandesal and ensaimada are all here because the company recognizes the fact that overseas Filipinos crave for certain tastes that would remind them of home.