La Isla Restaurant
La Isla Restaurant is a traditional Cuban diner in downtown Hoboken, NJ, serving authentic Cuban breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner across 39 BYOB seats, with supplementary catering and GrubHub delivery. It serves neighborhood residents, commuters, and local professionals as a two-generation community institution.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersHoboken, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What La Isla Restaurant does
La Isla Restaurant is a privately held, single-location Cuban diner operating at 104 Washington Street in downtown Hoboken, New Jersey. Established during the 1970s as part of the Hudson County Cuban expatriate community and now spanning two generations of ownership, the restaurant operates 39 seats in a BYOB format (no liquor license) and serves traditional Cuban cuisine across breakfast (Mon-Fri 7:30-11am, Sat 7:30am-noon), Sunday brunch (9am-3:30pm), and lunch/dinner (Mon-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 5pm-9pm). The menu is anchored by signature items including Omar's Stuffed French Toast ($18), Churrasco con Chimichurri ($39), Ropa Vieja, Cuban sandwiches ($19-$24), Empanadas, and various seafood dishes, with individual items priced from $2 to $39. The restaurant was featured on Food Network's Throwdown with Bobby Flay, providing third-party validation of its culinary quality.
The business generates revenue through four streams: dine-in service (the core), catering via half trays (serves ~12, $50-$135) and full trays (serves ~24, $70-$250) ordered by phone with a 25% deposit, takeout/delivery via GrubHub as a third-party platform, and weekly specialty events including Paella Thursdays ($32) and Cuba-Mex Taco Tuesday (served 5-9pm). Customer base is a horizontal mix of downtown Hoboken residents, Wall Street commuters, the local workforce, and local police — functioning as a neighborhood institution rather than a destination venue. Marketing is conducted through organic Instagram (@laislahoboken), Facebook, the Squarespace-hosted website, and word-of-mouth; there are no paid digital channels, no proprietary ordering app, and no described technology systems beyond the website and GrubHub integration.
Operating structure consists of approximately 12 employees with average tenure exceeding 10 years, which management and press materials cite as a key driver of consistent service quality and institutional recipe knowledge. The company has no disclosed capital structure, no funding rounds, no parent company, no franchise activity, no M&A transactions, no patents or trademarks, and no certifications. Commercial activity is contained entirely to a single Hoboken storefront with a small catering side business — there is no documented multi-unit expansion, new geography entry, or capital raise in the source material.
La Isla Restaurant firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- La Isla Restaurant
- Legal name
- La Isla Restaurant
- Website
- https://laislarestaurant.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- La Isla Restaurant is a traditional Cuban diner in downtown Hoboken, NJ, serving authentic Cuban breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner across 39 BYOB seats, with supplementary catering and GrubHub delivery. It serves neighborhood residents, commuters, and local professionals as a two-generation community institution.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
La Isla Restaurant industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cuban Restaurant
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Casual Dining Restaurants (THAFACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Family-Style Restaurants (THAFACAC)
Keywords
Where La Isla Restaurant is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hoboken
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
La Isla Restaurant business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Dine-in Service: Traditional sit-down restaurant service with 39 seats. No liquor license - BYOB policy. Customers dine in a Cuban diner setting. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner services offered on varying schedules throughout the week.
- Catering: Full catering menu with hors d'oeuvres, entrees, sides, and desserts available in half trays (serves ~12) and full trays (serves ~24). Pick-up orders placed by phone with 25% deposit required. Delivery available via GrubHub.
- Takeout/Takeaway: Takeout orders placed via GrubHub delivery platform or by calling the restaurant directly. Menu includes full range of breakfast, lunch, and dinner items available for pickup.
- Specialty Events: Weekly specialty offerings including Paella Thursdays ($32) and Cuba-Mex Taco Tuesday featuring rotating taco selections served 5-9pm. Drives incremental revenue through limited-time offerings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Breakfast items range from $8-$28 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lunch and dinner entrees range from $19-$39 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Catering trays - half serves ~12, full serves ~24 |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
La Isla Restaurant product offering
Product offeringCore offering
La Isla Restaurant is a 39-seat Cuban diner in downtown Hoboken serving traditional Cuban cuisine made from fresh ingredients across breakfast (Mon-Fri 7:30am-11am, Sat 7:30am-noon), Sunday brunch (9am-3:30pm), and lunch/dinner (Mon-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 5pm-9pm). The menu features signature dishes such as Churrasco con Chimichurri, Ropa Vieja, Cuban sandwiches, and Omar's Stuffed French Toast, complemented by catering trays and GrubHub-powered takeout and delivery.
Product overview
La Isla Restaurant is a traditional Cuban dining establishment offering a unified restaurant experience centered on authentic Cuban cuisine. The core offering comprises breakfast (Mon-Fri 7:30-11am, Sat 7:30am-noon), Sunday brunch (9am-3:30pm), and lunch/dinner services (Mon-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 5pm-9pm). The menu features traditional Cuban dishes including Churrasco con Chimichurri, Ropa Vieja, Cuban sandwiches, Empanadas, and various seafood options. Supporting services include a catering division offering trays for events (hors d'oeuvres, entrees, sides, desserts in half or full trays) and takeout/delivery through the GrubHub platform. The restaurant operates with 39 seats, BYOB policy, and no liquor license.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Breakfast Service
Quantifiable outcome
- Featured on Food Network's Throwdown with Bobby Flay - Omar's Stuffed French Toast
Companies that use La Isla Restaurant
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
La Isla Restaurant technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
La Isla Restaurant partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
La Isla Restaurant competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cafe Habana: Cuban-Mexican corner restaurant in NYC serving authentic Cuban food in a casual NYC neighborhood setting. Directly comparable in cuisine fusion (Latin Caribbean), casual sit-down service, and neighborhood institution positioning.
- Victor's Cafe: Long-standing Cuban restaurant in NYC serving traditional Cuban cuisine with a sit-down dining model. Directly comparable to La Isla in cuisine focus, family-run heritage, and traditional Cuban dining experience, though larger in scale.
- Cafe Cortadito: Small Cuban cafe in NYC's East Village serving traditional Cuban breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a casual sit-down format. Comparable in size, family-run character, multi-daypart Cuban cuisine focus, and neighborhood institution positioning.
- Cuba Libre Restaurant & Bar: Cuban/Latin restaurant in NYC and other East Coast markets offering traditional Cuban cuisine alongside a full bar program. Comparable in cuisine focus and cultural dining experience, with broader scale and full liquor license.
- Rincon Criollo: Family-run Cuban restaurant in NYC serving traditional Cuban home-style cuisine. Comparable in family-run narrative, authentic Cuban menu, and neighborhood-focused dining model.
- Sazon: Latin American restaurant in NYC featuring traditional Cuban and Puerto Rican cuisine. Comparable in authentic Latin cuisine focus, family-style service approach, and neighborhood sit-down dining model.
- Havana Central: Cuban restaurant chain in the NYC metro area offering traditional Cuban cuisine in a casual sit-down format. Comparable in cuisine authenticity and full-service dinner model, with a larger footprint than La Isla.
- Calle Ocho: Latin American restaurant on Manhattan's Upper West Side offering Cuban and broader Latin cuisine in a sit-down format. Comparable in cuisine heritage and full-service neighborhood dining experience.
Broad incumbents
- Rosa Mexicano: Upscale Mexican/Latin restaurant group with multiple locations in NYC and other major cities. Comparable as a Latin cuisine full-service operator, though positioned at a higher price point and broader scale than La Isla.
- Toloache: Upscale Mexican bistro in NYC with multiple locations, offering Latin cuisine in a sit-down format. Comparable as a Latin cuisine full-service restaurant operator though at higher price point and broader scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
La Isla Restaurant social profiles
Digital presenceLa Isla Restaurant financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
La Isla Restaurant leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
La Isla Restaurant funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
La Isla Restaurant 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 La Isla Restaurant
What does La Isla Restaurant do?
La Isla Restaurant is a 39-seat Cuban diner in downtown Hoboken serving traditional Cuban cuisine made from fresh ingredients across breakfast (Mon-Fri 7:30am-11am, Sat 7:30am-noon), Sunday brunch (9am-3:30pm), and lunch/dinner (Mon-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 5pm-9pm). The menu features signature dishes such as Churrasco con Chimichurri, Ropa Vieja, Cuban sandwiches, and Omar's Stuffed French Toast, complemented by catering trays and GrubHub-powered takeout and delivery.
Is La Isla Restaurant a public or private company?
La Isla Restaurant is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was La Isla Restaurant founded?
La Isla Restaurant was founded in 1970. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is La Isla Restaurant based?
La Isla Restaurant is headquartered in Hoboken, United States, in the North America region.
How does La Isla Restaurant make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Dine-in Service is the primary driver. The others are catering, takeout/Takeaway and specialty Events.
Who are La Isla Restaurant's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cafe Habana, Victor's Cafe, Cafe Cortadito, Cuba Libre Restaurant & Bar, Rincon Criollo, Sazon, Havana Central and Calle Ocho. Broad incumbents are Rosa Mexicano and Toloache.
Does La Isla Restaurant have an API?
No public API is recorded for La Isla Restaurant.
What industry is La Isla Restaurant in?
La Isla Restaurant's product category is Cuban Restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAB, Casual Dining Restaurants, with a secondary code of THAFACAC, Family-Style Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5812.