JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Owner Rebecca Gonzalez says 1928 Cuban Bistro is more than a place to eat; it’s a living tribute to the family who shaped her, especially her grandfather.
Gonzalez, a first-generation Cuban American, said she was raised in Miami and moved to Jacksonville in 2015.
While her business has grown to five locations, she said the story behind it began long before Northeast Florida, with her grandparents who left Cuba for New York to build a new life in the United States.
“My grandfather, he was my father figure,” Gonzalez said. “He always pushed me to follow my dreams and to go after it and work hard.”
The restaurant’s name comes from her grandfather’s birth year, 1928, which is displayed at the entrance of each location.
Inside, Gonzalez points to lyrics on the wall that she says her grandfather used to sing to her grandmother: “Muñequita linda… dime si me quieres como yo te adoro…” — which translates to: “My beautiful doll… tell me if you love me the way I adore you.”
“It’s a lyric that my grandpa used to sing to my grandmother, and it just reminds me of them. It’s really special to me,” she said.
Gonzalez said the restaurant has also become a place of opportunity for Spanish-speaking employees who may have had trouble finding work in Jacksonville.
“It turned into a home for a lot of employees who were Spanish speakers who maybe couldn’t find employment here in Jacksonville that easily,” she said.
One of those employees is cook Yenisel Rodriguez, who left Cuba in 2013. Rodriguez said working at 1928 Cuban Bistro has helped her feel connected to home.
She prepared a meal for me featuring classic Cuban favorites, including croquetas and cafecito con leche.
Gonzalez said she saw a need for more cultural diversity when she arrived in Jacksonville and wanted to share the traditions she grew up with.
“When I moved to Jacksonville, I noticed that diversity was missing. I was like, ‘I’m ready to bring the Cuban culture here,’” she said.
For Gonzalez, that culture shows up in the food, the language, and the music, passed down one cafecito, one croqueta and one familiar song at a time.
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