History in the East and the West is strikingly similar. In the 1950s to 1970s, while Hong Kong welcomed a large number of people fleeing the “cultural revolution” in communist China, Florida, an ocean apart, became a land of freedom for Cubans escaping another communist dictatorship.
With just a sea separating Cuba and Miami, statistics show that in just one year, in 1965, about 100,000 Cubans arrived in Miami from the Cuban capital, Havana, on the “freedom flights” that operated twice daily.
Nestled in a corner of South Beach, Miami, is a nearly 60-year-old family-run Cuban restaurant, now in the hands of the third generation of the Rivero family.
An old-looking advertisement on the table recounts the restaurant’s background. Puerto Sagua, which opened in 1968, is the most famous American-style Cuban restaurant on South Beach, with a history as long as the beach itself.
A senior gentleman in front of the seats seemed to be playing cards, spreading cards all over the table.
Noticing my curiosity towards the elderly gentleman, waiter Arnaldo introduced to me that he is the restaurant’s owner, Mr. Horacio Rivero, who is 80 years old and still vigorous, working at the restaurant every morning.
It turned out Mr. Horacio was not playing cards but tallying bills. It was handwritten restaurant receipts spread out on the table like cards. The restaurant is now mainly run by Mr. David Rivero, the third generation of the family, Arnaldo said. Despite rarely advertising online, it still thrives on word of mouth.
Cuban Immigrants Living out American Dream
The family’s story began with escaping the Castro regime in Cuba. Mr. Horacio decided to leave the country in the 1960s with his family and come to the United States.“They came from a very humble beginning,” Mr. David told The Epoch Times. “My grandfather started as a dishwasher. My grandmother started packing tomatoes in New York.
“My father (Mr. Horacio) was about 12 when he got here. When he got older, he started as a busboy. From that beginning, they were able to establish what we have nowadays.”
The couple later moved to Florida, where there were many Cubans. Mr. Horacio took over the restaurant in 1968 and worked as a chef himself to support the family.
“[That’s how] you define the American dream. You start with nothing, you work hard, and you go up the ladder a little bit at a time, and you’re able to succeed,” Mr. David said.
“I’m very proud of their story.”
The restaurant has been part of Mr. David’s life for as long as he can remember.
“I grew up being a busboy and then waiter... You’re going to see me pulling plates and helping the busboy, helping the waitress,” he said.
Mr. David’s father hired him at the same wage as other staff, hoping that he could learn to earn his living. This monetary view has also been passed on to the next generation.
“My kids, when they did work here, it was the same. They made whatever salary they made… just like everybody else,” said Mr. David. “That’s how we grow. You know, when things are too easy, we don’t appreciate what we have.”
Maintaining Traditional Taste
The competition in Miami’s dining industry is fierce, with numerous restaurants near Puerto Sagua all striving to attract customers with specialty dishes.When asked if he had considered revising the menu after taking over the restaurant, Mr. David said he did not want to follow trends to change the restaurant’s original features.
“My grandfather passed away quite a few years ago, but his flavor is still in that kitchen. That’s the best I could possibly do [to remember him]. It’s very important to me,” he said.
Mr. David added that Puerto Sagua’s specialty is maintaining traditional flavor, operating in a family kitchen style, with the layout of the restaurant unchanged for 50 years.
“It’s good old home cooking. We’re not fancy. We’re not trying to make a gourmet out of Cuban food. It’s just nice, simple, good tasting,” he said. “To us, it’s better to enjoy the taste and the ambience of the restaurant than to change it to low lights and the little decorations.”
As the owner said, the dishes served were not accompanied by fancy plates but stood out for their generous portions, deliciousness, and reasonable prices.
In today’s world, where people rely on social media to find food, Puerto Sagua does not advertise much online or have a special promotional webpage.
To maintain food quality and ensure customers enjoy freshly cooked meals, the restaurant also does not partner with delivery companies, encouraging customers to dine in or place orders by phone for takeaway. Even during the COVID-19, they did not change their habits to do more business.
“We’re very old school and traditional. We don’t do delivery… All we do, is you call in, place your order, and come pick it up… So that you can keep the food taste,” said Mr. David.
Retaining Employees to Maintain Family Heritage
The pandemic of the century has had a significant impact on the steadily managed small business.During the pandemic, the restaurant was closed for three months. However, the owners tried their best to pay wages in a wish to retain the staff.
“We try to maintain our staff,” said Mr. David. “75 percent [of the staff] have been here more than 15 years, so they become part of the establishment. Our oldest has been here [for] almost 40 years… We have our staff become the heart of the house.”
Waiter Arnaldo, whose mother is also a veteran staff of Puerto Sagua, is happy to consider the restaurant a part of his home. He introduced that the staff would gather to celebrate every holiday, and the boss also remembered the birthdays of staff members and would buy them cakes.
Mr. David believes in motivating staff to work hard rather than putting in mandatory requirements.
“My philosophy is a very positive base approach,” he said. “I don’t want to use the word discipline approach. I believe that you can motivate people to do what you need them to do, and in turn, they want to do it for you.”
“I believe that positive reinforcement gets you a long way.”
Mr. David takes running the restaurant as his mission.
“To me, it’s not only taking over a business, it’s taking over a legacy and how to maintain that legacy,” he said.
“I don’t necessarily need people to think or know that I’m the one running it or I’m the owner. What I want them to know is that it’s my family [that] keeps it running, and I run it for them.”
