Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mara Bretau Cabrera. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Mara, appreciate you joining us today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.

After moving from Alabama to Florida, my family and I found Pensacola to be the perfect place for us. During our exploration of the area for restaurants, activities, and community events, I noticed a distinct absence of Cuban Cuisine. At that time, my husband and I decided to take on the challenge of introducing and selling authentic Cuban food in the area. I actively joined the Facebook Marketplace and local social media groups for the Latin community in my area. I made a point of share my business with my colleagues but something that helped a lot was the Thanksgiving holiday and that was the perfect time to get our first customer, and from there, the momentum grew until I eventually established The Cuban Cookhouse Facebook page.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

We are a Cuban family of 4 that emigrated to this great country in 2016. We grew up among seasonings and flavors of homemade food, family festivities, and roast suckling pig at the end of the year. Thus, food, with the magical power of bringing families together, became our passion. That is why, The Cuban Cookhouse is our best way to share our authentic Cuban flavor with everyone. Our business is focused on crafting the perfect weekend dinner experience for your family. With our exquisite and delicious Cuban cuisine, everyone is sure love it. Our dishes boast an undeniable flavor, from Ropa Vieja, Croquetas, Cuban sandwich, and Roasted pork to delectable Cuban desserts like Flan, Rice pudding, Empanadas and more.
While we may not be professional chefs, our authentic Cuban heritage brings with it a treasure trove of recipes passed down through generations. Each of these dishes holds the essence of our vibrant culture and we believe that is very welcome from the Cuban and Latin community living in the United States and for Americans that never tried Cuban food, but they are attracted by our Cuban flavor.
The Cuban Cookhouse is homemade food by the hands of husband and I, and we are pleased to serve customers in the Pensacola area and surroundings. We take great pride in the feedback our customers leave after savoring our food. Our main goal is to ensure the complete satisfaction of our customers and to keep them coming back for more. We are building a community of loyal followers and local clients, and while we are working on attracting even more, we want to do more than just serve amazing Cuban food. In the short term, we plan to establish an inviting space where everyone can enjoy the flavors of Cuba and soak up a vibrant Cuban atmosphere.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

We have self-funded our business; at the beginning we preferred not to rely on bank loans. We initiated it using our personal saving since is a business family owned. Currently, we are focused on meeting the prerequisites to advance to the next stage, bringing our plan to live.
Put together our business was a quite an amusing situation because you are juggling family life, a business, supporting an older daughter in university, managing numerous projects at home, working full-time, and all these responsibilities are reliant on the same income and time. However, we are fully committed to growing The Cuban Cookhouse as a family business. The Cuban Cookhouse would be a family legacy that my daughters could inherit, and that would make our journey more meaningful.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Our Facebook page is the key draw for customers. I work almost 24/7 promoting our business and it has turned out to be effective. Enhancing our online store, leveraging online reviews, seeking customers recommendations, and offering promotions and discounts on their next order are essential for expanding our clientele. And of all of them, the customers recommendations are the most effective strategy so far.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shop.castiron.me/the-cuban-cookhouse-1
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_cuban_cookhouse/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecubancookhouse
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-cuban-cookhouse-pensacola
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.cuban.cookhouse

Image Credits

The Cuban Cookhouse, LLC