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'''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 [[Wikipedia:Camagüey|Camagüey, Cuba]],<ref>[http://www.varona.com/restaurants.html Varona Restaurants]</ref> Varona participated in the failed [[Wikipedia:Bay of Pigs invasion|Bay of Pigs invasion]] against [[Wikipedia:FIdel Castro|FIdel Castro]]'s regime as a teenager, for which he was imprisoned for eighteen months.<ref>"Still Castro's Cuba." ''Pensacola News Journal'', February 20, 2008.</ref> He immigrated to America in {{date needed}}. He founded [[Varona Enterprises]] in [[1972]] and opened the first minority-owned airport concession at the [[Wikipedia:Stapleton International Airport|Stapleton International Airport]] in Denver, plus other airport operations in Dallas-Ft. Worth, St. Louis and Orlando.<ref>[http://www.aviationtoday.com/pressreleases/18364.html AviationToday.com]</ref>
Varona moved to Pensacola in [[1990]]<ref name="restaurant"/> 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]]<ref>"Pensacola airport pushes to be better." ''Pensacola News Journal'', August 11, 2000.</ref>) and two gift shops.
