Robert de Varona
Robert de Varona, called "Mr. D" by many, is a Cuban-born entrepreneur who owns airport concession company Varona Enterprises and a standalone restaurant, Varona's Havana Café, under construction on 12th Avenue. He is married to Eloise Lautier de Varona, president of Artel Gallery.
Born in Camagüey, Cuba,[1] Varona immigrated to America in (date needed). He founded Varona Enterprises in 1972 and opened the first minority-owned airport concession at the Stapleton International Airport in Denver, plus other airport operations in Dallas-Ft. Worth, St. Louis and Orlando.[2]
Varona moved to Pensacola in 1990[3] and now operates several concessions in the Pensacola Regional Airport, including Varona's café (originally called "Hangar Bay" before a $300,000 renovation in 2000[4]) and two gift shops.
In 2006 Varona announced plans to open a separate restaurant outside the airport. After contemplating two downtown locations — the site of the Lee House, demolished after Hurricane Ivan,[5] and the McCollough House, where his wife's Artel Gallery is located[6] — Varona chose to renovate the former State Farm Claims Insurance building at 5121 North 12th Avenue, near the airport. It is scheduled for completion in March 2008.[3]
He is a regular patron of the arts community and served as president of the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra from 2005-2006.
References
- ↑ Varona Restaurants
- ↑ AviationToday.com
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Restaurateur to open new Cuban-style eatery." Pensacola News Journal, October 22, 2007.
- ↑ "Pensacola airport pushes to be better." Pensacola News Journal, August 11, 2000.
- ↑ "Lee House site plan reworked." Pensacola News Journal, July 18, 2006.
- ↑ "Plan for Cuban eatery scrapped." Pensacola News Journal, August 24, 2006.