Zaza Serves Classic Cuban Fare While Feeding A Hunger for Nostalgia
By Lesley Keays
Herald Columnist
Since one cannot easily travel to Cuba for its cuisine, Cuba has come to Lake Mary.
Zaza Cuban Comfort Food is a modern Cuban comfort diner offering fresh ingredients with traditional recipes from a country 90 miles off the coast of our state. For food enthusiasts with Cuban heritage, the menu will feel familiar; for others, Zaza will satisfy an entirely new dining experience.
Conveniently located at 237 Wheelhouse Lane in Lake Mary, Zaza’s kitchen distinguishes itself by operating without microwaves. It offers Cuban bread made daily, fresh pastries, Cuban sandwiches, empanadas, and cultural dishes such as ropa vieja and vaca frita. Every Zaza restaurant boasts a full coffee bar. As a company, Zaza serves nearly 3,500 cups of coffee daily from a monthly volume of 8,000 pounds of beans.
From where did the vision of Zaza emanate?
It started in Cuba, from a single coffee bean.
Nearly 90 years ago, Zaza co-founder Ruben Perez’s grandfather, Don Pepe, hailed from Puerto Padre, Cuba. Daily, Don Pepe and his family prepared breakfast and lunch for up to 400 sugarcane field workers. For the laborers, coffee was a ritual mandatory to ensuring a successful day.
Perez’ father immigrated to the US. In high school, Perez, with a superior work ethic, estimates his income may have exceeded that of his teachers. At 22, Perez opened his first Cuban restaurant. Of his 30+ year career, Perez states, “For me, the succession on paper and actual alignment in life was different. I had to run multiple business, at times simultaneously, to prepare myself for new opportunities.”
On one sourcing trip to Costa Rica, Ruben met Pablo Juarez, a world-renowned Q Grader coffee cupper (read: master java sommelier.) Pablo and his family later relocated to Seminole County to join Zaza as its coffee subject matter expert. Juarez, known internationally, impeccably sources organic coffee beans, traveling to Central and South America regularly to do so. Rigorously he evaluates Zaza’s brewing systems and processes.
Zaza opened its doors in 2013; in July 2025, Zaza opened its 10th location in Casselberry, with five additional sites planned and multiple locations opening this summer. Gourmet coffee tastings are in the works.
Perez, a Seminole County resident, now brings his legacy forward. His two sons, fourth-generation entrepreneurs, are artisan coffee roasters in Zaza’s facility in Longwood. Additionally, Zaza is a proactive member of the coffee community of Central FL, joining Florida Coffee Culture and sponsoring its Florida Coffee Festival last November.
Perez credits much of Zaza’s success to his mentors and employees. “I maintain a belief in the good of people. When you begin to build a business, choose to surround yourself with fine individuals and you will acquire vast knowledge that attracts incredible employees,” Perez states.
For more information, visit zazacubanfood.com.