Havana Central
Havana Central is a privately held Cuban restaurant group operating a flagship Times Square location and additional tri-state sites, serving theater-goers, tourists, corporate clients, and private event hosts through dine-in, catering, and online ordering.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Havana Central does
Havana Central is a privately held, multi-location Cuban restaurant group founded in 2002 by Jeremy Merrin with restaurant consultant Arlene Spiegel. The company's flagship operates from 151 W 46th Street in Times Square, New York City, with additional locations on Long Island and in Central New Jersey serving the tri-state market. The business offers dine-in service, takeout and delivery, off-site catering, private event hosting across multiple configurable spaces, and a recurring calendar of branded dining specials (Happy Hour, Sunday Brunch, Taco Tuesdays, $49 Pre-Theater Menu).
The underlying technology stack is composed of off-the-shelf restaurant SaaS rather than proprietary platforms: BentoBox powers the website and CMS, ToastTab handles online ordering, gift cards, and loyalty integration, Tripleseat manages reservations and event inquiries, and standard payment rails (Google Pay, Apple Pay) plus Google reCAPTCHA round out the infrastructure. Revenue is generated primarily through in-restaurant food and beverage sales at menu prices (entrees $13-$43, $49 pre-theater prix fixe), recurring daypart specials, off-site catering packages (family bundles, Cuban Feasts, pharma luncheons, boxed lunches), private event buyouts for 20-250 guests, prepaid gift cards, and the Rewards Club loyalty program. Customer segments span theater-goers and Times Square tourists, local leisure diners, corporate and pharmaceutical clients requiring catering or event space, and social event hosts (birthdays, showers, anniversaries), with no single enterprise anchor disclosed. The company is founder-owned and operated, with no institutional investors, funding rounds, or parent-company structures identified.
Havana Central firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Havana Central
- Legal name
- Havana Central
- Website
- https://havanacentral.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Havana Central is a privately held Cuban restaurant group operating a flagship Times Square location and additional tri-state sites, serving theater-goers, tourists, corporate clients, and private event hosts through dine-in, catering, and online ordering.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Havana Central industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cuban Restaurant Services
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hotel & Resort Restaurants (THAFACAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cocktail Bars & Lounges (CRANACAD)
Keywords
Where Havana Central is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Havana Central business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Dine-in Restaurant Service: Full-service Cuban restaurant offering dine-in experiences including à la carte menu items, prix fixe pre-theater menu ($49), brunch specials, and daily specials. Revenue generated from food and beverage sales at menu prices.
- Catering Services: Off-site catering for corporate events, office lunches, pharma luncheons, family celebrations. Includes party trays, family bundles, full-service catering with staffing, and pharma packages. Delivered as tray/platter sales or full-service events.
- Takeout and Delivery: Takeout and delivery orders for Cuban family bundles (feeds 4 or 10), individual menu items, and catering orders. Processed through ToastTab online ordering platform.
- Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift card sales through ToastTab platform, providing prepaid restaurant credits to customers.
- Loyalty Program: Rewards Club program offering points for spending, birthday rewards ($25 credit, free flan and fedora), and $10 credit for every $100 spent. Drives repeat customer visits.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Pre-Theater Menu at $49 per person |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Taco Tuesday Specials |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Happy Hour (Mon-Fri 3pm-7pm) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Boozy Sunday Brunch |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cuban Family Bundles |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Catering - Empanadas |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pharma Luncheons |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cuban Sandwich Bundles |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Catering - Boxed Lunches |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Taco Bar Catering |
| Subscription | Annual | Rewards Club - Birthday |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Havana Central product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Havana Central is a Cuban restaurant and rum bar in Times Square, NYC, founded in 2002, serving authentic Cuban cuisine in a 1950s vintage Cuba-inspired atmosphere. The business offers dine-in service, takeout and delivery, off-site catering for corporate and social events, and hosts private events across multiple semi-private and private spaces (Glass Room, VIP Section, Mezzanine). It also runs recurring dining specials (Happy Hour, Sunday Brunch, Taco Tuesdays) and a $49 Pre-Theater Menu for Broadway patrons.
Product overview
Havana Central is a single-location Cuban restaurant and rum bar operating in Times Square, New York City since 2002. The business operates as a unified restaurant concept offering dine-in service, takeout and delivery (via Toast Tab platform), and off-site catering. Key product lines include: core dine-in dining with a full Cuban menu, the Rewards Club loyalty program, and a comprehensive private events and catering division with multiple venue spaces (Glass Room, VIP Section, Mezzanine) and catering packages (Cuban Family Bundles, Cuban Feasts, pharma lunch programs). The restaurant also runs recurring dining specials including Happy Hour (Mon-Fri 3-7pm), Sunday Brunch with boozy options, Taco Tuesdays, a $49 Pre-Theater Menu for Broadway patrons, and birthday celebration packages. A partnership with the Buena Vista Social Club Broadway show offers bundled dining and ticket discounts. Live Latin music is featured on weekends featuring the band Son Con Tres.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Dine-In Service Traditional sit-down restaurant service featuring authentic Cuban cuisine (Ropa Vieja, Pernil, Arroz con Pollo, Cuban sandwiches) in a 1950s vintage Cuba-inspired atmosphere, located in Times Square, NYC. Designed for individual diners, groups, theater-goers, and tourists seeking an immersive Cuban dining experience.
- Takeout and Delivery
Companies that use Havana Central
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Havana Central technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Havana Central partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Buena Vista Social Club™ (Broadway)coreHavana Central partners with the Broadway musical Buena Vista Social Club for cross-promotional marketing. Theater patrons receive 15% discount on show tickets using code HAVANA2 and 15% off their meal when showing same-day ticket. This partnership drives pre-theater dining traffic and provides exclusive entertainment value for restaurant guests.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Havana Central competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Rosa Mexicano: Upscale Latin-inspired restaurant group with multiple US locations and a strong bar/cocktail program. Overlaps with Havana Central on full-service Latin dining in NYC and a high-margin beverage-led P&L.
- Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar: Multi-location Cuban/Latin concept with rum bar emphasis and nightlife positioning (Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Orlando). Overlaps directly with Havana Central's rum bar and live music differentiators at greater scale.
Direct peers
- SOBs (Sounds of Brazil): Manhattan live music venue with full-service Latin/Caribbean food and beverage program. Comparable on the entertainment-driven dining model, though leans more heavily into ticketed concert revenue.
- Calle Ocho: Cuban/Latin restaurant on the Upper West Side offering prix fixe dining, brunch, and a cocktail program. Comparable in cuisine authenticity, daypart structure, and NYC full-service positioning.
- Tacuba: Mexican/Latin restaurant and bar in NYC offering casual full-service dining with live entertainment and themed nights. Competes for similar Latin-cuisine casual dining occasions in the same metropolitan market.
- Victor's Café: Long-standing Cuban restaurant in NYC serving authentic Cuban cuisine since 1963. Direct head-to-head competitor for Cuban dining occasions, private events, and pre-theater diners in the same addressable market.
- Guantanamera: Multiple-location Cuban restaurant in NYC with classic Cuban menu, mojitos, and live music. Most direct competitor on the cocktail/rum bar plus live music combination Havana Central relies on.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Havana Central social profiles
Digital presenceHavana Central compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Havana Central financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Havana Central leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Havana Central funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Havana Central M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Havana Central
What does Havana Central do?
Havana Central is a Cuban restaurant and rum bar in Times Square, NYC, founded in 2002, serving authentic Cuban cuisine in a 1950s vintage Cuba-inspired atmosphere. The business offers dine-in service, takeout and delivery, off-site catering for corporate and social events, and hosts private events across multiple semi-private and private spaces (Glass Room, VIP Section, Mezzanine). It also runs recurring dining specials (Happy Hour, Sunday Brunch, Taco Tuesdays) and a $49 Pre-Theater Menu for Broadway patrons.
Is Havana Central a public or private company?
Havana Central is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Havana Central founded?
Havana Central was founded in 2002. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Havana Central based?
Havana Central is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Havana Central make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Dine-in Restaurant Service is the primary driver. The others are catering Services, takeout and Delivery, gift Cards and loyalty Program.
Who are Havana Central's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Rosa Mexicano and Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar. Direct peers are SOBs (Sounds of Brazil), Calle Ocho, Tacuba, Victor's Café and Guantanamera.
Does Havana Central have an API?
No public API is recorded for Havana Central.
What industry is Havana Central in?
Havana Central's product category is Cuban Restaurant Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAH, Hotel & Resort Restaurants, with a secondary code of CRANACAD, Cocktail Bars & Lounges. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.