You can get free, fresh Cuban bread at this Miami bakery. But only one day a week

We’re stuck in quarantine because of the coronavirus pandemic. The future is uncertain. We’re riddled with anxiety, and only carbs will soothe our souls.

Fortunately, Cuban bread exists - and one day a week, you can get a loaf of it free.

The family-owned CAO Bakery & Cafe, a spinoff of Miami’s popular Vicky Bakery run by the founder’s grandson, is offering all customers a free loaf of Cuban bread every Monday.

You don’t need to buy anything else. You don’t have to say a secret phrase. Just go in on Monday and ask for your bread (though you’re probably going to find it hard to resist pastelitos because pastelitos are everything).

Cao Bakery, which makes the bread fresh daily, has given out about 500 loaves, according to Yvette Cao, one of the owners.

“We decided to do this initiative because we wanted to do something nice for our community, and we also wanted to give back to our customers who have been coming in to support us,” she said. “Cuban bread for us is a comfort food, and we make the bread from scratch with our family recipe. We know that people are staying home and cooking, but bread is not something that can easily be made at home.”

There are nine CAO locations in Miami-Dade County: South Beach, Kendall, Pinecrest, Sunset, on Bird Road, Coral Way, Flagler, North Miami Beach and Virgin Miami Central, with Broward locations in Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale.