What Now has been following the growth of Zaza Cuban Comfort Food for years now. The Zaza brand first appeared in What Now coverage in August 2021, and growth has continued apace in the five years since, as the brand’s classic Cuban-American cuisine proves to be a consistent winner.
“I started Zaza because of my love for always going to that neighborhood restaurant,” founder Ruben Perez told What Now in an interview. “I wanted to create a neighborhood restaurant that spoke to my heritage.”
And as growth has picked up, with multiple locations opening this year alone, Perez says the brand is sticking to its proven approach.
“The key is to do one good store at a time. Because when we go in, we have to be part of that neighborhood.”
In the coming months, Zaza will be joining several new neighborhoods, with new Zaza Cuban Comfort Food restaurants opening in SODO (at 1621 S Orange Ave), in Kissimmee (at 3208 John Young Pkwy), and in Winter Park (at 1471 Lee Rd).
As Zaza prepares for these launches—and more, Perez says, as the company eyes nearby markets for expansion—it will draw extensively on the know-how of its CEO, Luis Fernandez, who not only cut his teeth growing various Yum! Brands concepts in Spain and Portugal, but is also an old friend of Perez’s.
“Luis learned a lot about Cuban culture through my father, who is an amazing chef,” said Perez. “He went from being dishwasher to running the kitchen at our restaurant; then he returned to Spain to get his masters in hospitality.”
After spending time at Yum! Brands, Perez says, Fernandez reached out to ask about Zaza.
“We had always kept in touch, and he reached out to me and said, ‘I’ve been watching it, and I’m seeing on social media. I’d like to come help you build it.”
And that’s what Fernandez has done in two years back at Zaza, bringing his corporate know-how to the job of managing the chain.
“I’m an entrepreneur,” said Perez. “Luis has learned the corporate side of things, and we were looking for that skill set. It’s still a family restaurant, but when you duplicate, it’s a lot.”
The idea is that, with streamlined operations, Zaza will now be leaner, more efficient, and ready for the work it takes to open its kind of neighborhood restaurant in more and more neighborhoods.
Meanwhile, on the menu, Zaza’s new Buenos Summer half-sandwiches have dropped, with meal deals starting at $9.90. They come with handhelds like a Half Ham Croquettes Sandwich or a Half Steak Sandwich served with a choice of side, plus optional upgrades. Another recent (addictive) addition is Zaza’s “crispy, tasty” chicharrones.
Of course, that’s alongside other sandwiches, empanadas, breakfast choices, and—of course—coffee, an aspect of the business that, for Ruben Perez, has become a passion over the years.
“I would take trips to coffee farms in different coffee regions to get to know the processors,” Perez says, describing the complicated and highly delicate process that brings coffee from the ground to the cup. “There’s the altitude, the soil, the sun, and once you grow that cherry, it has to be ripened correctly. There are so many steps to get it right.”
Getting it right might actually be the perfect description of the passion behind Zaza.
“Getting all these little steps—I love that,” said Perez. “That’s what makes this business so exciting for me.”
You can keep up with all things Zaza by following @zazacubancomfort on Instagram.
