Javier Martinez is a true entrepreneur. In a country where people are not prone to try new dishes, this young man dared to open a cafeteria whose star option is the Mexican burrito.
“When I came with idea of opening this place, I thought of fast food, but I didn’t want it to be like what everybody else was selling,” Javier tells OnCuba, sitting in his “El Burrito habanero.” His trips around the world as a cook, especially those to Mexico, made him dream of selling, some day, Mexican tacos in Havana.
The idea was good but he had to face a challenge: raw materials. Tacos are made using corn flour, but “Cuban corn doesn’t have the required quality”, so he resorted to burritos, fast food from the Mexican northern states, which are based on wheat flour.
Lilttle by little, he has developed a pretty remarkable clientele. Chicken burritos, pork burritos and “habaneros”, sold at accessible prices for Cubans, have become a feasible option for those working, or living, in the Vedado neighbourhood of Havana.
But then, he wanted a specific burrito, and the lack of an irreplaceable ingredient brought out once again his creative skills and he created the “habanero” with local ingredients: ground beef, black beans and cheese. “It is by far the most asked for burrito,” Javier laughs.
Now, his menu is becoming more global: ceviches from South America, Italian spaghetis, Cuban rice and beans, and hamburgers. “Some times customers come in pairs. One of them likes burritos, but the other doesn’t. Here they have choices”.
Javier believes that only through hard work he can succeed. “We have to work a lot. Taxes are reasonable, but still, it takes lot of effort.” When asked about expanding in the future, he smiles: “I don’t think so, but some people have talked to me about creating a franchise in Valladolid (Spain) and Bari (Italy)”.
He shifts in his seat, visibly uncomfortable. He is impatient to resume work. •”Come back ay time you like.” He says good-bye and runs to the kitchen to fetch more burritos that, all of a sudden, don’t seem to be that exotic anymore in Havana.
