Acclaimed Denver chef Enrique Socarras is returning to restaurant ownership with a new concept that’s coming to Freedom Street Social in Arvada. He will be opening an eatery called Jama Miami Cuban Food + Drink at 15177 Candelas Pkwy, according to the Denver Post.
Socarras is known for co-founding Cuba Cuba in 2001 after moving from Miami. He left that business several years ago and told What Now Denver, “This project, for me, is very heartfelt. I’m just really excited to be cooking for Denver again.”
He signed the lease for his new food hall stall just last week, after being in conversations for about five months. The project requires no major construction due to the modular setup at Freedom Street Social. Hiring is already underway, with a target staff size of 10 to 15 employees, including people who have worked for him before.
Jama (pronounced “hama,” a slang term for food) will focus on the Miami-style Cuban food that defined Socarras’s upbringing. The menu will lean heavily into sandwiches and street-style favorites reminiscent of Miami’s Cuban coffee counters. Although liquor service will be handled by Freedom Street Social’s main bar, Socarras hopes to collaborate on brand-aligned cocktails.
While preparing to launch at the Arvada food hall, Socarras has been testing his menu from a ChefReady ghost kitchen in Denver, its website shows. Roughly half the orders come from Uber Eats and DoorDash, and the other half are local pickup. Once Jama opens, he plans to pause the ghost kitchen, but says it may return to assist with takeout.
