Neighbors, business partners fuse Greek, Cuban cuisine
By Mike Hamson
Special Correspondent Published: January 27, 2016
TBO.com
VALRICO — After rebranding their café, Brandon next-door neighbors Elia Kallas and Norman Harris plan to franchise their Cuban and Greek fusion concept.
They recently remodeled Café Cuba, an eatery whose design now features modern exposed ceilings, in the Royal Oaks Plaza in Valrico. They also brought in contemporary art, wall sconces and granite table tops. Besides the remodel, their goal is to open a second location in the Riverview area within the next year.
Harris calls his business partner Kallas the “secret sauce” to their success, thanks to the Greek and Cuban family recipes Kallas has been using since 1997. After selling his original establishments in Brandon and New Tampa, Kallas decided to team up with Harris, who has a business and sales background.
Café Cuba, formerly called La Cubanita, has been in Brandon for more than a decade.
“We decided to rebrand this into a different name, Café Cuba,” Kallas said. “It rolls off the tongue a little bit more. For expansion, it’s a little bit more conducive to the American population.”
Kallas understands his customers want a warm, inviting atmosphere that rivals the bigger chains.
“Gone are the days where you can slap a couple tables together and a little bit of paint and be that mom-and-pop store,” Kallas said. “It has to have that nice feel to it and vibrant colors and be inviting to come in. You have to keep it nice and fresh; that’s what we do.”
When it comes to the food, he said the top sellers are the mojo roast pork and the Cuban sandwiches as well as the Greek and chicken gyros.
Kallas, who is Greek, is married to a person of Cuban heritage, Letictia Kallas. He likes to tease that she showed him how to cook the Cuban-style meals while he taught her how to make Greek dishes.
Harris said the close proximity to local sports complexes encourages parents to bring their children in before games. He said people especially enjoy Café Cuba’s French toast using Cuban bread.
Harris said he is more involved with the numbers and sales side of the business while Kallas focuses on the cooking. The two met as neighbors in Brandon.
“We decided to partner up and see if we could duplicate this in different places,” Kallas said. “To franchise and be able to sell it, you need to be able to show you have your own stores that are successful so you can say — this is how you do it.”
Café Cuba, 3240 Lithia Pinecrest Road, Valrico, is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. They are closed on Sundays. For more information or catering details, call (813) 655-6499.
Special Correspondent Published: January 27, 2016
TBO.com
VALRICO — After rebranding their café, Brandon next-door neighbors Elia Kallas and Norman Harris plan to franchise their Cuban and Greek fusion concept.
They recently remodeled Café Cuba, an eatery whose design now features modern exposed ceilings, in the Royal Oaks Plaza in Valrico. They also brought in contemporary art, wall sconces and granite table tops. Besides the remodel, their goal is to open a second location in the Riverview area within the next year.
Harris calls his business partner Kallas the “secret sauce” to their success, thanks to the Greek and Cuban family recipes Kallas has been using since 1997. After selling his original establishments in Brandon and New Tampa, Kallas decided to team up with Harris, who has a business and sales background.
Café Cuba, formerly called La Cubanita, has been in Brandon for more than a decade.
“We decided to rebrand this into a different name, Café Cuba,” Kallas said. “It rolls off the tongue a little bit more. For expansion, it’s a little bit more conducive to the American population.”
Kallas understands his customers want a warm, inviting atmosphere that rivals the bigger chains.
“Gone are the days where you can slap a couple tables together and a little bit of paint and be that mom-and-pop store,” Kallas said. “It has to have that nice feel to it and vibrant colors and be inviting to come in. You have to keep it nice and fresh; that’s what we do.”
When it comes to the food, he said the top sellers are the mojo roast pork and the Cuban sandwiches as well as the Greek and chicken gyros.
Kallas, who is Greek, is married to a person of Cuban heritage, Letictia Kallas. He likes to tease that she showed him how to cook the Cuban-style meals while he taught her how to make Greek dishes.
Harris said the close proximity to local sports complexes encourages parents to bring their children in before games. He said people especially enjoy Café Cuba’s French toast using Cuban bread.
Harris said he is more involved with the numbers and sales side of the business while Kallas focuses on the cooking. The two met as neighbors in Brandon.
“We decided to partner up and see if we could duplicate this in different places,” Kallas said. “To franchise and be able to sell it, you need to be able to show you have your own stores that are successful so you can say — this is how you do it.”
Café Cuba, 3240 Lithia Pinecrest Road, Valrico, is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. They are closed on Sundays. For more information or catering details, call (813) 655-6499.
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