Located at 7901 N Armenia Avenue in Tampa, The Cuban Empanada & Fry Bar has been serving up empanadas, sandwiches, and more since 2022. Its classic Cuban sandwich not only comes in vegan form (with jackfruit in place of roast pork), it also comes as an empanada, which won the brand second place at the Cuban Sandwich Festival.
And now the Cuban Empanada is preparing to expand with The Cuban Empanada & Fry Bar Cafe, opening at 5411 Beaumont Center Boulevard #705. The new cafe will offer additional salads and sandwiches, along with a range of coffee choices including cold brew and nitro, says owner Norma Bedell.
“We’re a Cuban restaurant inspired by my Dad, Juan Antonio,” Bedell told What Now on Wednesday. Juan Antonio is the inspiration for the brand’s mascot, Juan A. Empanada. “My daughter Jamie drew him from my description, wearing a traditional Cuban shirt. The whole restaurant is inspired by Cuba, my father, the traditions he taught me, and the Cuban cuisine which carry forward into everything I make.”
The brand’s first mom-and-pop shop on Armenia Avenue was a “labor of love” put together by Norma and her husband David, a longtime resource officer in a local school district. David put his heart into building out the Armenia Avenue location, Bedell says. Tragically, he fell ill not long after the opening and passed away. The family restaurant he left behind carries on in his memory.
“He always said he knew it would be successful,” said Bedell, “And now here were are, getting ready to open our second location.”
That location will feature a décor reminiscent of The Cuban Empanada’s original location, with a few extra touches, including a photo-ready seat made from the rear half of an antique automobile. There will be seating indoors and out.
The family business’s new location, located along Hillsborough Boulevard, is opening soon. You can keep up with Cuban Empanada news by following @thecubanempanada on Instagram.
