Valerio’s Tropical Bake Shop is coming to the former space of Saints and Sinners in Woodside. Photo by Czarinna Andres
Feb. 21, 2025. By Shane O’Brien
Filipino bakery Valerio’s Tropical Bake Shop is set to open in the former location of beloved, long-standing Irish bar Saints and Sinners, which shuttered permanently in August 2022.
Valerio’s, which operates several locations across the West Coast, as well as in Hawaii, Chicago, and Canada, is currently renovating the space at 59-21 Roosevelt Ave. in Woodside.
A spokesperson for Valerio’s said the bakery does not currently have an exact opening date yet due to ongoing delays with equipment for the new location.
The Woodside location will represent the bakery’s first venture into the New York City market.
Valerio’s Tropical Bake Shop, first opened by Ariosto R. Valerio in West Covina, California, in 1994, seeks to bring traditional Filipino baked goods to US customers. It is notable for its pandesal, a traditional Filipino bread roll typically eaten for breakfast.
Golden-crusted and soft inside, Valerio’s Pandesal is a Filipino bakery staple, typically paired with sweet or savory spreads. Photo: Valerio’s
Valerio sought to carry on his parents’ legacy, Victor and Milagros, who opened a bakery in Manila in 1965 before opening a US store in southern California in 1979. Victor and Milagros Valerio became renowned for their fried dough, bicho-bicho, while operating bakeries in both the Philippines and the US.
Valerio’s arrival in Woodside places it within Little Manila, an enclave along Roosevelt Avenue that has become a cultural and commercial hub for the growing Filipino-American community in Queens.
The area is home to a variety of other beloved Filipino establishments, including Red Ribbon Bakeshop, Jollibee, Ihawan, Kabayan, and Renee’s Kitchenette, which serve as go-to spots for traditional Filipino cuisine and baked goods.
Valerio’s at the corner of 59th St. and Roosevelt Ave. in Woodside. Photo by Czarinna Andres
The new bakery will take over a location long occupied by Saints and Sinners that has laid vacant for over two years.
The popular Irish bar was a neighborhood staple for 21 years before abruptly announcing its closure in August 2022.
In an August 2022 social media post, bar staff said the closure was due to “unexpected circumstances.”
Saints and Sinners, which boasted a distinctive round bar in the middle of the establishment along with several side rooms, often hosted Irish music sessions and viewing parties for sports games.
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