‘This restaurant is my life’: Beloved family-owned Cuban spot in Miami turns 50

When they opened the first Sergio’s Cuban restaurant in Westchester in 1975, Blanca Cabrera and her mother Elsa Rodriguez Rocha made a deal: They were not allowed to cry at the same time.

Breakdowns were inevitable, because the hard work of operating one’s first restaurant cannot be overstated. But someone had to keep things moving at the restaurant, which had joined Miami favorites Arbetter’s Hot Dogs and Frankie’s Pizza on Bird Road. So only one overwhelmed person at a time was allowed to weep when daily frustrations piled up, like barely being able to keep up with a busy lunch crowd or when the aluminum on the bottom of the pan burned and ruined the custard, forcing them to throw it away and waste dozens of eggs.

“I’d say, ‘One of us has to stay strong and just let the other one be,’ ” remembers Cabrera, who was then 26 and admits she gets emotional thinking about those early days. “There was so much trial and error. There have been a lot of ups and downs. I thought it was going to be an easy business, but it was intense. I learned so much during these years that it’s like I went to Harvard and graduated without being in college.”

Now, Cabrera’s mother is gone and Cabrera’s son Carlos Gazitua is CEO of the company. And Sergio’s has stretched beyond its Westchester roots, with restaurants on Coral Way, at Vivo Dolphin Mall, in Kendall, Pembroke Pines and Doral, and grab-and-go locations in Miami Lakes, Hialeah Gardens, West Kendall, and at Florida International University and the Fort Lauderdale airport.

The brand has reached an impressive milestone in 2025: its 50th anniversary. On Oct. 1, Sergio’s is celebrating with a one-day throwback to some original prices, with frita Cubanas for $1.38; medianoches for $2.60, Cuban sandwich for $3.25 and pan con bistec for $3.

Oct. 1 also happens to be National Croqueta Day, a holiday created in 2019 by the city of Miami and county of Miami-Dade to honor Sergio’s serving its 20 millionth croqueta. Not to be left behind and clearly recognizing the power of the croqueta, Broward County adopted the holiday a year later. In 2021, Sergio’s tried to make a 6-foot-long croqueta to celebrate while breaking a world record. The Guinness World Book of Records did not officially recognize the attempt, but this being Miami, the croqueta was swiftly and happily consumed.

Providing such Cuban comfort food has always been the goal for Cabrera, who came to Miami from Cuba when she was 12. Sergio’s, which also employs her ex-husband and Gazitua’s father John, is known for favorites like ropa vieja, vaca frita and pan con bistec as well as the aforementioned croquetas, empanadas and pastelitos. (And no, there’s no Sergio — that was the previous restaurant’s name, and Cabrera liked that it could be easily pronounced in English and Spanish.)

But to last 50 years, change is necessary, says Carlos Gazitua, a father of three. His mother’s idea was to create a family-friendly spot with affordable food and quick service, a place you could grab a bite and still make it to the movies. You don’t want to mess with a successful formula, one built around affordability, but you also want to meet the needs of modern customers, he says.

“My mother taught me the roots of how to be authentic and Cuban,” he says. “My goal is to say: How do we continue to develop for the next generation? During COVID we were scrambling to figure out how to survive. That got us to think differently.”

So changes were made. In 2021, the restaurant introduced robots to the waitstaff, not to replace the human servers but to deliver plates to tables and return them to the kitchen.

“Our staff loves them, ” Gazitua says. “Our waitresses love it because they don’t have to pick up plates. They can stay on the dining room floor and talk to the guests. And kids love them. With tech done the right way, we can give guests a better experience and still have humanity for our employees. We’re constantly adapting to be successful.”

Gazitua also implemented a couple of successful menu changes with health-conscious customers in mind. He created a “La Flaca” menu with fewer carbs and fewer calories as well as vegan options, like a plant-based frita. There’s also chicken ropa vieja with stuffed bell peppers and cauliflower rice and lean turkey piccadillo.

There’s also a breakfast choice with 50 to 60 grams of protein for the keto fans, with two eggs, a porkchop, grilled chicken or steak and fruits and berries or avocado. (Fear not, purists, you can still get pancakes, Cuban fried rice and plenty of other carb-friendly meals, as well as a variety of sandwiches. And did we mention the croquetas?)

“It’s got a whole different demographic coming to us, which is great,” Gazitua says.

TikTok has also played a role in introducing Sergio’s to a new generation. Instead of heading to the ventanita and ordering the traditional hot cortadito, guests can now order iced and shaken cortaditos and cold foam coffees in flavors like Cuban S’mores, Guava Cold Foam, Maria Cookie Crumble and Honey Cortadito. Appealing to a younger crowd, the drinks quickly went viral on social media.

“It has brought in a whole new generation to enjoy Cuban coffee,” Gazitua says. “It’s bridging gaps and allowing people to be together and connect.”

The biggest change for the company, though, will be expanding to become more than just a Miami restaurant chain (though the restaurants are not going away). Gazitua sees Sergio’s as becoming a food company that can provide products to others as well as serve Cuban fare. The brand already has its own USDA plant, which helps them choose products they want, work with farmers they prefer and ensure consistency.

“The community wants the traditional thing they grew with and feel comfortable with,” he says. “But from the business side, we have to think about how we continue to survive and stay financially viable.”

In the meantime, the Sergio’s brand will continue to grow, with a new restaurant opening in Pinecrest at the end of October. The restaurant will be the first with outdoor seating in the village, Cabrera says, and she can’t wait for it to open.

“This restaurant is my life,” she says, adding that she still gets excited every time a new location opens. “I love to see it growing.”

Sergio’s anniversary celebration

When: Oct. 1

Where: Sergio’s locations in Miami-Dade in Broward

More information: www.sergios.com