Ybor City is bustling, vibrant community in central west Florida. The city has centuries of history with a flourishing and extraordinary cultural heritage.
The Ybor City Museum State Park is actually housed in one of the earliest businesses to be established in the area. The Ferlita Bakery, also known as La Joven Francesca Bakery, was a centerpiece in the community. The residents living in the city in the early 1800s were mostly comprised of immigrants coming to establish themselves in the blossoming Ybor City. Francisco Ferlita was one of these immigrants, building the bakery in 1835.
The bakery stayed busy making between 300 - 500 loaves of Cuban bread each day. The bakery not only provided bread for residents but also served as a casual gathering place for residents. It is said that locals would stop by the shop to catch up with old friends or even have a cup of café Cubano.
In 1922, the bakery was destroyed in a fire, but it was quickly rebuilt, adding a second brick oven to increase the bakery’s production.
The same brick ovens can be seen in museum, preserved as a piece of the building and family’s story. The building produced bread until 1973 when it was converted into a museum to celebrate Ybor City’s culture and history.
