Off The Menu – Restaurante 2212
Restaurante 2212
Punta Gorda, Cienfuegos
This year, we are doing a new blog series called, Off The Menu: 10 Questions with a Cuban Restaurateur.
Each week, our resident coordinators, Yadira and Dayana, will sit down for an exchange with a different private restaurant owner in the city of Cienfuegos, Cuba. We want to give local entrepreneurs an opportunity to talk about themselves and share their passion. At the same time, we hope you gain a little familiarity with the members of our community.
Our hope is that next time you’re in town, you’ll remember to stop in for a meal.
¡Buen Provecho!
You can find restaurant owner Gretel Gutiérrez and her husband here most evenings.
My name is Gretel Gutiérrez. I have a B.A in Electrical Engineering.
2. How long have you been in business?
I began working here four years ago.
3. What inspired you to open a restaurant?
I have always liked the world of cuisine. I started working as a waitress at the Restaurant Finca del Mar. Then I met the previous owners of this restaurant and I began working here, and today my husband and I run the restaurant.
4. What makes your restaurant unique?
We have sushi in our menu which is not very common in Cuba.
5. What is the concept for your restaurant?
We are a modern family-style restaurant.
6. What type of experience should patrons expect when they come to your restaurant?
Our guests should expect an excellent product and also a great service.
7. What kind of food do you serve? Do you have any signature dishes?
We serve Cuban and international dishes. Even though we are not a Japanese restaurant, sushi is one of the dishes that identifies our business.
8. Do you use delivery or online ordering service?
No. We hope that you come visit us in-person.
9. Why do you like welcoming international students?
In the restaurant industry, it’s important to know how to satisfy the tastes of all kinds of guests, so receiving international students, is an opportunity to learn.
10. Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you or your restaurant?
We use mainly local ingredients.