Hurriyet Daily News
Istanbul, Turkey
26 September 2021
Authentic Cuban restaurant opens in Istanbul
A new spot for getting traditional Cuban eats opened on Sept. 25 in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul, offering customers the experience of being in Havana without ever going to Cuba. The opening of La Bodeguita del Medio features a wide array of traditional Cuban dance and music performances along with, of course, Cuban food. From the restaurant’s name to decorations, food to the music, everything can be traced back to Cuban origins. Istanbul offers cuisines from multiple countries, but now Cuba is among those nations.
Havana’s Ambassador to Ankara Luis Alberto Amoros Nunez told Anadolu Agency at the opening event that the "restaurant is a piece of Cuba in Istanbul." La Bodeguita Del Medio is the most emblematic Cuban restaurant, said Nunez. “This restaurant in Cuba invented the mojito [a traditional Cuban cocktail],” he added, referring to its sister branch in the Cuban capital of Havana. "This restaurant represents the most authentic Cuban cuisine, traditions and music,” he said. Nunez pointed out that Cuba did not have such a place in Istanbul. "It is our most emblematic restaurant and a piece of this emblematic place in the middle of Istanbul."
"This is really nice and that will be very good for strengthening bilateral relations between Cuban people and Turkish people," said Nunez. He said officials expect that the restaurant could build a bridge between Turkish and Cuban people as well as promote Cuban culture and people to Turks. "People will find the most authentic Cuban cuisine here and will be very interesting to come and to get information of our traditions and music." Nunez thanked the Turkish people for the love they have for Cuba and their "solidarity." Noting that Cuba faces very tough sanctions by the U.S., he said: "We have always solidarity and friendship from Turkish people and they help us." "I love Turkey and Turkish people a lot,” he added.
From Wikipedia
La Bodeguita del Medio is a restaurant-bar in Havana (Cuba). It is a famous tourist destination because of the personalities which have patronized it: Salvador Allende, the poet Pablo Neruda, the artist Josignacio and many others. La Bodeguita lays claim to being the birthplace of the Mojito cocktail, prepared in the bar since its opening in 1942, although this is disputed. The rooms are full of curious objects, frames, photos, as well as the walls covered by signatures of famous or unknown customers, recounting the island's past.
In 1942, Angel Martínez bought out the small Bodega La Complaciente in Empedrado Street, in the old Havana district. He renamed the place Casa Martínez. Angel Martínez sold typical Cuban products and, from time to time, served dinner to the regulars. But mainly, the people who were found at the Casa Martínez, were there to have a drink with their friends, and savor a brand new cocktail called Mojito, made with rum, mint, sugar, lime and club soda. In 1949, the cook Silvia Torres aka “la china” prepared the food. Very quickly, the Casa Martínez became the centre of Havana's cultural effervescence. Attracted by the bohemian charm of the place, writers, choreographers, musicians or journalists met there in a convivial ambiance. Encouraged by a need for restaurants in the Old Havana at the end of the 1950s, the place started to serve food to everyone. On April 26, 1950, the name Bodeguita del Medio was officially adopted.
Among the first clients was Felito Ayon, a charismatic editor, who rubbed shoulders with the avant-garde of Havana, and put Casa Martínez on the map amongst his acquaintances. It is the way Felito Ayon used to indicate the location of the Bodeguita to his friends, that made popular the expression Bodeguita del Medio, that was to become its official name in 1950. The menu is typically Cuban: boiled rice, black beans, pork shank, manioc, pig shank roasted in its juice, pork rinds and toasted fried plantains.
Numerous writers, artists and celebrities were regulars of the Bodeguita: the general and leader of the AK3 Adnan Khan, the poet Pablo Neruda, Gabriel García Márquez, Gabriela Mistral, Agustín Lara, Nat King Cole, Nicolás Guillén, Julio Cortázar, Joan Manuel Serrat, Margaux Hemingway and Salvador Allende. Ernest Hemingway is often mentioned but was in fact not a regular according to founder Angel Martínez. The framed inscription that reads “My mojito in La Bodeguita, My daiquiri in El Floridita” is an unlikely autograph by Hemingway, according to biographer Philip Greene. For one, Hemingway usually signed his name without loops in the "g" and "y", while the signature in the Bodeguita does include loops.
In September 1997 a bomb went off in the Bodeguita as part of a bombing campaign against tourist spots that injured dozens and killed the Italian tourist Fabio di Celmo at the Hotel Copacabana. While no-one was killed in the Bodeguita, dozens were severely injured. Remarkably just moments before the explosion, the barman had agreed to have his picture taken with a tourist who later turned out to be Ernesto Cruz León, the Salvadorian mercenary arrested and convicted for planting the bomb.
Today there are establishments of the restaurant in locations outside Cuba, including Mexico, the United States, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, North Macedonia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Germany, United Kingdom, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Lebanon and China. In Spain, a company has opened four Bodeguitas del Medio, replicas of the original Cuban restaurant.
Palmares S.A.
Havana, Republic of Cuba
27 September 2021
The Extrareserve Company Palmares S.A. offers national and international tourism a number of offers in recreational and gastronomic services, where it makes available to its clients the history, culture and nature of Cuba. With 14 Base Business Units called Branches, four of them in the Cuban capital and the rest located in the provinces of the country, Palmares manages around 851 facilities, basically linked to the tourist poles, where from the boom reached in the tourism industry of the country have been a great attraction for visitors. Its business lines include natural products, sports tourism, art and entertainment, restaurants, event and convention centers, fast food establishments, franchises of important Cuban brands, accommodation and specialized trade, among others. The Extrareserve Company Palmares S.A. manages a group of establishments that have an important demand. In Pinar del Rio, Havana, Ciego de Avila and Camagüey, the Farms of Campesinas stand out, where you can enjoy a horse ride, get to know the peasant culture and participate in a guajira festival, among many other options. In Varadero, Cienfuegos, Cayo Largo and Cayo Guillermo, the dolphinariums are located, where the visitor can learn about the care and way of life of these incredible mammals, observe a fabulous show and even interact with them. https://www.palmares-cuba.com/en/
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Havana, Republic of Cuba
6 April 2017
We are the Division of Franchising of the Non-Hotel Company PALMARES SA, of the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Cuba. Owners in Cuba of more than 750 non-hotel facilities, some of them with high international renown and brand notoriety. http://misiones.minrex.gob.cu/en/articulo/cuba-franchisings
The "FRANCHISE PALMARES" is a management organization and development, which has several contracts of successful establishments, now in several countries, from 2 continents, where you can enjoy the best of Cuban cuisine, cocktails and music.La Bodeguita Del Medio, Floridita, Tocororo and others have the power to capture the taste of people of all ages for their service and their unique atmosphere that characterize them as a corner of genuine Cuban culture thanks to the special atmosphere created in them. Our main goal is to create the house of the most genuine Cuban flavor.
The "FRANCHISE PALMARES" allow you to take to your country a bit of Cuba. We grant franchises of restaurants, bars and renowned night centers, among others:
1- "La Bodeguita del Medio": The most popular Cuban Restaurant-Bar in the world, born in a small cellar in Old Havana as a result of the informal meetings and luncheons of a group of intellectuals who would eventually become In some of the most important exponents of the Cuban culture of the recently concluded century, which left an undying mark on the place. Establishment that has won innumerable national and international awards and distinctions in its more than 75 years of history, famous for the many personalities that have visited it from all over the world and also for being the creator of one of the most popular and famous international cocktails: El Mojito.
2- The "Floridita": Bar-Restaurant specializing in seafood. Very famous not only for its range of dishes, but also for its bar and the professionalism of its bartenders. Establishment that has obtained numerous national and international awards in its 200 years of history. Famous place for the personalities that have visited it and where the magical Daiquiri cocktail gained worldwide fame. Ernest Hemingway's favorite place in his more than twenty years of residence in Cuba, client that incorporated it in addition in the "Jet Set" and the Hollywood charm to such point that in 1953 the American magazine Esquire did not hesitate to compare it with some of the most S legendary bars of the world, as in the case of the Ritz in Paris, the Raffles in Singapore or the Club 21 in New York.
3- "El GatoTuerto": Café Concert located in front of the Havana Malecon, very close to the Hotel Nacional de Cuba which has one of the most famous clubs in Havana with 57 years of history giving three shows of Cuban music live in the evenings And where the main figures of Cuban music have passed in a bohemian and magical atmosphere.The drink of the house is called "Orgasmo del Gato." It has at its upper part a beautiful restaurant of Cuban and international food and is enjoyed A beautiful view of the coast of Havana.
4- Cabaret Tropicana: Living legend among the most famous cabarets in the world, Tropicana was officially inaugurated on December 31, 1939 as Boîte de Nuit. Recognized worldwide as the mecca of open air shows, in their tables masterfully harmonize music, dance, sumptuous dressing rooms and bold architecture with its profuse vegetation. Much is due to Martin Fox in the project of this cabaret that was incomparable on the planet: parabolic arch entrance, passageway between palm trees, aerial dance walkways, exotic garden decoration, all the color and exuberance that synthesize the image of the Paradise under the stars. Two sculptures identify Tropicana: "La Ballerina", its symbol, sculpted by the Cuban Rita Longa, located at the entrance from 1949 and the delicate sculptural group "The Fountain of the Muses" conceived by the Italian artist Aldo Gamba, located in the gardens in 1952. The scenarios of the emblematic cabaret are proud to have seen the most valuable of the Cuban art universe: Rosita Fornés, Celia Cruz, Olga Guillot, Elena Burque, OmaraPortuondo, Farah María, Los Papines, the dance couple Ana Gloria y Rolando as well as artists of great international notoriety - Carmen Miranda, Nat King Cole, Josephine Baker, Liberace, Pedro Vargas, Alejandra Guzman and Cheo. The Tropicana show was presented for the first time outside of Cuba at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, followed by other world famous places: Royal Albert Hall of London, Sporting Club of Monte Carlo (Monaco), Friederichstadt Palace (Berlin) and Beacon Theater (Broadway, New York). Amongst the dazzling spectacles, Stand out The Merry Widow, Spring in Rome, Tea House, Mexican Fantasy, Six Beautiful Cubans, The Romans were like that, Almanac, Carnival of Lecuona, Tropicana sings and dances for you, Brindis for Tropicana and Tropicana: the glory is you. Throughout its 78 years, Tropicana's appeal has remained unscathed. Under the halo of lavish and stunning staging, in this magical earthly paradise, every night of the round, the stars twinkle and the moons touch each other with their fingers.
You can acquire the right to use our names, image and know-how by using certain procedures and our advice. FRANCHISES PALMARES has more than 10 establishments franchised in several countries of the world.
3- WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DO WE OFFER?
The Franchisee of "FRANCHISE PALMARES" receives the benefits of our experience in the operation of high quality traditional bars, restaurants and nightclubs. The Franchisee does not need a sufficient previous experience in this type of activity, since we provide the advice and special consultancy in all aspects that are part of the creation and operation of its franchised facilities.
We offer: A) Image, decoration and atmosphere, through: Manual of Corporate Identity of the Franchise. Decoration Manual of the franchise establishment. Specialists who will advise you on design and decoration. Offers of traditional Cuban furniture and decorative elements such as photos of personalities, murals, posters, reproductions of all kinds, copies of the originals of Havana establishments. B) Specialized personnel: Specialized and experienced staff, graduated in the Cuban gastronomy and tourism schools, with good command of 1 or more foreign languages, for the positions of: Operational Manager (Head of Service), Chef, Head of Bar. Training of the kitchen personnel and service in the place of its installation and in the original establishments in Havana, with its evaluation. Contacts to address the offers of musical groups or artistic shows, which are selected by you through specially organized auditions with the participation of numerous candidates of high artistic level. C) Know-how through: Operation Manual of the franchised establishment, which includes: Work procedures, Systems, Cocktails and plates, Types of services and standards: Advice on gastronomy. Special program of quality assurance of the operation at the start-up and in the first months of operation of the establishment. Staff training. Periodic assessment and advice and Reports for continuous improvement of work. Strategies for marketing the establishment. Analysis of prices and products. Preparation of the gastronomic offer, based on the original menu or menu of the franchised establishment, with recipes of meals and cocktails. Advice on purchasing and ordering systems: Foods, Drinks, Necessary inputs. Stock management. Equipment D) Offers of Cuban Products: Specialized suppliers. Offers of Cuban products of high international recognition: Rum; Coffee; Seafood; Beers; Fruit juices; Sweet; Citrus fruits; CDs. of Cuban music. All our offer has been designed to make your establishment a unique and different product.
4- HOW DOES IT WORK?
BRIEF INFORMATION ABOUT THE FRANCHISE FOR THE OPENING AND OPERATION OF A BAR-RESTAURANT "LA BODEGUITA DEL MEDIO", "FLORIDITA" OR ANOTHER MARK.
Agreement concept being negotiated. It is a Franchise Agreementby which the natural or legal person concerned obtains the right to use the trademark of a recognized Cuban establishment and its image.The "package" of the Franchise also includes the know-how of the establishment and supply on preferential termsof specialized staff for gastronomy, cocktails and service in the lounge, musical groups, the training of local staff, advice on the preparation of the project, management for furnishing and decoration the provision of Cuban rum, coffee and other products that prove the authentic Cuban character of the facility, as well as advice and systematic support to its operation. In exchange for this, the Franchisee agrees to respect the concept and image of the original Cuban establishment and to pay a Canon of Entry and a monthly fixed or variable royalty, which is determined from the sales estimated in the feasibility study. The Franchisee is the Natural or Legal person to whom the Franchise is granted. The Franchisor is the GRUPO EMPRESARIAL EXTRAHOTELERO PALMARES SA, a company legally constituted according to the laws of the Republic of Cuba, with registered office in Línea between L and M, Vedado, Municipality Plaza de la Revolución, City of Havana, Republic of Cuba.
Services provided by the FRANCHISOR: The Franchisor grants to the Franchisee a set of rights that entitle him to establish and operate a Restaurant-Bar or a first-class Night Club, with typical Cuban food and cocktails, under the image and specifications established by The Franchisor and also provides the Franchisee the next: The right to use a brand and an image of renowned prestige, with a long history closely associated with Cuban culture and traditions, distinguished by its high level of services in the cocktail and restaurant sector, distinctive of the city of La Havana and Cuba in the rest of the world. Transfer of the know-how to prepare and operate the installation. All the trust and support of The Franchisor and his systematic advice and supervision, both in the commissioning and in the permanent operation of the establishment, aimed at ensuring the success of the installation including the delivery of its Operation Manual. Advice on the projection of the facility and its decoration to prepare a true replica of the existing one in Cuba, including the delivery of its Decoration and Corporate Image Manuals. The facilities and organization to obtain and hire, under preferential wage conditions, highly qualified Cuban workers in Gastronomic, Culinary and Cocktail Management, which are necessary for the opening and marketing periods of the new establishment. The support in the management to select and contract under preferential wage conditions the Cuban musical groups typical for these facilities, which will complete the requirements that have made them famous. Support to contract preferential prices for the most renowned Cuban products used in Cuban gastronomy and cocktails such as Havana Club rum, coffee, Cuban cigars, seafood, citrus fruits, beers, juices and fruit preserves, etc., as well as the genuine traditional furniture and decoration of the facility. he systematic supervision of all these aspects and the permanent help from the Franchisor. The franchise agreement provides that the image of the Franchisee, its presence and the nature and quality of its service are similar to those of the original Cuban, for which the Franchisee will receive all the advice and systematic supervision of the Franchisor. The menu and the cocktails will be the same ones that have made famous Cuban installations more famous. In both cases, the Franchisee receives the advice for the preparation of the corresponding Menu, which will be based on those of the original facility and may be modified by agreement of the parts that suit the interests of the specific market in which they work. The musical accompaniment that surrounds the installation is basically made up of trios, quartets or string quintets that will interpret traditional Cuban music, which create a pleasant atmosphere for people who enjoy a lunch or dinner. These musical groups are contracted by The Franchisee, based on the proposals presented to him at auditions organized for this purpose by the Franchisor and the Artistic Companies. The advertising image of the establishment is in accordance with the Operative Manual of Operation under Franchise, the Corporate Image Manual and the decoration Manual of the facility, and reflects a real image of Cuba, its history, culture, gastronomy, people and its relation with the country and the territory of the Franchisee. The Franchisee places a distinctive plaque at the entrance of his establishment that identifies him as Franchise of the original Cuban installation. The design of the plaque can be seen in the Decoration Manual.
5- WHAT ARE THE MAIN CONDITIONS OF OUR CONTRACT?
BASIC CONDITIONS OF THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT: The Franchise is granted on an exclusive basis to operate in the part of the city in which the franchised bar-restaurant will be installed, and includes the license and authorization for the use of the brand and other distinctive signs used by the Franchisor in the exclusive operation of the Restaurant. The term of the contract is 5 years, extendable for the same period. The Franchisee pays at the signing of the Contract, an amount as initial franchise payment. Monthly it pays a Royalty that is determined by agreement between the parts. The Franchisee makes an investment for Promotion and Advertising of not less than two percent (2%) of total gross income. In exchange for the above, the Franchisee receives all rights to operate with the trademark and corporate image of the original establishment, as well as to obtain the know-how and other attributes of the concept developed by the Franchisor. It receives the advice and preparation of the personnel necessary to properly operate the facility and to reproduce its image, its environment and the quality of its service, which is systematically controlled by the Franchisor. The Franchisor provides advice for the projection of the establishment and its decoration, the selection of furniture, the adaptation of the base menu, the cocktails, the music and the general atmosphere of the Restaurant, which is ensured to be similar to the original. For this purpose, the Franchisor provides the necessary support to the Franchisee, including the necessary specialized technical assistance. The Franchisor provides advice for the projection of the establishment and its decoration, the selection of furniture, the adaptation of the base menu, the cocktail, the music and the general atmosphere of the Restaurant, which ensures that they are similar to the original. For this purpose, the Franchisor provides the necessary support to the Franchisee, including the necessary specialized technical assistance. The contracting (in the initial phase of pre-opening and marketing of the facility), the staff that will perform the positions of Service Manager, Chef de Cuisine and Head of the Bar will be facilitated by the Franchisor and approved by the Franchisee, under preferential and competitive in the international market salary rates. The rest of the staff is selected and hired by The Franchisee will be native to the country where the establishment is located. The preparation of all personnel is supervised and / or assured by The Franchisor who collaborates with The Franchisee in the training of personnel, including the performance of practices in the original Cuban establishment. The Franchisor provides the Franchisee with ways to purchase furniture and decoration, which will be of Cuban origin, and the rum that will be Havana Club. Coffee, cigars, beer, juices, sweets, citrus, lobster and other products to be agreed upon may also be of Cuban origin and their supply will be agreed with The Franchisor. In all these cases, this will favor the granting of preferential conditions of supply to the Franchisee. The image of the Franchisee, its presence and the nature and quality of its service will be organized similar to those of the original, for which the Franchisee will receive the advice, support and systematic supervision of the Franchisor. The base menu of the Restaurant will be that of the Cuban establishment, although in agreement with the Franchisor, modifications may be made and other dishes may be included according to the location in which the establishment will be located.
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