Havanabama: 1st Cuban Ventanita service in Alabama

My name is Karlene. I am a first-generation Cuban-American, women-owned business owner, asking for YOUR financial help with my dream in opening up the first Cuban ventanita service in Huntsville, Alabama.

Growing up in Miami and hearing stories of how my grandparents emigrated from Cuba to the United States and starting from zero, instilled in me resilience and hard-working ethics. I am proud to be an American and thanks to my grandparents, also proud of being Cuban.

Miami is where my love for Cuban food started. It’s where I watched my grandmother cook with joy, where I was happiest ordering from bakeries, where we made sandwiches on Cuban bread to take them to the beach and where if my mom didn’t feel like cooking, we ate from Pollo Tropical.

Speaking of love, Miami is where I met my high school crush, now husband, and had our two children. We lived in Little Havana, four minutes away from the historic Cuban restaurant Versailles, seven minutes away from Sergios and two minutes away from El Palacio de los Jugos.

Everything changed in 2018, when we moved our little family of four, from Miami to Huntsville, Alabama. Once we moved here, we quickly realized how much we missed having our bakeries or Ventanitas as our go-to for getting our pastelitos, croquetas and cafecito fix.

It was in the apartment complex of Hawthorne at the Ridge, where I learned to make pastelitos and croquetas. I learned not just because they were a big part of my upbringing and because I missed them, but because I wanted to keep the tradition going for my kids. I made food for everybody- from the apartment complex office and maintenance crew members, to the staff at my children’s pediatric office and elementary schools. Everyone loved it!

With the demand for pastries and cafecito growing, locals had suggested I open up my own bakery. That’s when I turned to my husband for help in coming up with a name. We kept going back and forth, until I said I wanted a name that describes us being Cuban in Alabama, and without skipping a beat, he said Havanabama!

Through Havanabama, I have met many Miami transplants, Cuban exiles and Cuban Americans from all over the states. It is the biggest compliment when I get told that my food reminds them of Miami, their abuelas, but most importantly, when it reminds them of home. Because of that, I wanted a place for people to call home and to be able to enjoy good food and be among good company.

Since opening up Havanabama, I have had the honor of making pastries for birthday parties, baby showers, weddings, business grand openings, office luncheons, get-togethers and so much more. In fact, in February 2023, Havanabama was asked to offer interactive Cuban cooking classes. Each class was a sold-out event, and an amazing opportunity to interact with the community and share my passions of Cuban food, stories, music and culture.

For the past six years, I have been juggling working from home, homeschooling my kids and trying to build my business. However, I am now outgrowing my kitchen and home space and need to find a commissary kitchen to legitimize my business.

A good friend and small business supporter, connected me with her commissary kitchen. The meeting went well! I really like the place and the owners are all about helping other small businesses starting off, like myself. There is a lot of potential at this location for Havanabama to grow and I even envision a ventanita, walk-up window, so that patrons can come up and pick up their orders.

I feel like everything I have worked so hard for is just within my grasp but I don't have the financial means to make my dreams a reality without taking this leap of faith and your help.

Every step of this journey in opening up my business, has felt like I’m climbing up the ladders, standing at the edge of the diving board, looking down at the pool and seeing everything that I have worked hard for and yet scared to make that leap. I have been scared to make that leap because I have not had the financial means to do so.

I need funds for a security deposit, first month’s rent and other other incidentals; such as, permits, inspection fees, decorations, inventory, clean up, etc. They even have this window, that I envision where the ventanita, walk up window, could be placed and offer that ventanita service, like in Miami. The permit will open up so many doors and opportunities that have not been available to me right now.

How exciting to finally have a place that I can get shipment of Cuban Bread to and have people line up for. Our customers will have a place where they can pick up their orders. I would be able to provide catering for corporate lunches, private events, weddings, and many other celebrations.

If you can't or don't want to donate I understand and appreciate your time for reading this far. I hope that you can share my story, so that possibly others that have the means and wants to do so, can.

Looking forward to Havanabama's next chapter of opening up Alabama’s first Cuban ventanita service and bringing y'all along with us- dale!