Seven years ago, San Diegan Sandra Cardet decided to open a Cuban restaurant in Clairemont Mesa based on recipes passed down among her family.
The restaurant became such a success that this weekend she and her son, Alexander Vara, opened a new outlet of the restaurant at the Westfield Mission Valley mall.
“Growing up, my mother Sandra’s Cuban food was the best I ever had, and I always wondered why no other Cuban restaurant tasted as good as home, said Vara. “So, seven years ago we decided to open the first Havana Grill in Clairemont Mesa and feed our community.”
“Our recipes have been handed down for generations and we are really proud of the fact that we are a family run, authentic Cuban restaurant in San Diego.”
Although the Mission Valley site has been open for a few weeks, the grand opening was Saturday, drawing a crowd that was treated to free champagne samples, $5 passionfruit mimosas and $5 mojitos for the opening.Â
Vara said the family had been scouting for a new location for a long time when their commercial realtor told them that the mall was looking for a local San Diego restaurant, not a chain.
“I’ve been going to that mall since I was a kid to watch movies at the AMC so I was really excited about the opportunity to be invited to open our second location at such a popular landmark,” he said. “They’ve been great to work with and we’re really happy with the location.”
The restaurant is located on the Camino de la Reina side of the mall, and boasts an open air feel, sidewalk dining and a bar.
The expansion might have been seen as a risk by some considering the tough going many restaurants have had during and after the pandemic.
But Vara said Havana Grill weathered the pandemic and was ready to expand.
“Our takeout and delivery orders went through the roof as more and more people craved wholesome comfort food,” he said. “We actually broke sales records during the pandemic because of the incredible support we received from our community and the unprecedented demand for takeout. Even now our takeout orders continue to make up for up to 40% of our sales.”
The success of the Cuban restaurant bucks the trend in a place more known for Mexican food. Over the years, San Diego has seen small Cuban restaurants come and go. The most popular one was Andre’s, a Morena Boulevard that lasted more than 30 years until it closed last September.
Customers at Havana Grill will encounter Cuban comfort food like ropa vieja, picadillo and Cuban sandwiches. But the Mission Valley site has a larger pastry selection than the Clairemont location, featuring such items as Chocolate Torte and Guava Cheesecake.
“Mission Valley has also been in dire need of artisan and craft desserts and cocktails for a while now, so we are super excited to fill that void and give people and opportunity to indulge in an immersive Cuban experience at our new location,” said Vara.