The Cuban government has transferred the management of five iconic culinary locations in Cienfuegos to private operators after years of closure or deterioration due to the state's inability to maintain them operational.
The initiative includes the restaurant Covadonga, the ice cream parlors Coppelia and El Cairo, the Club Caribe, the Laguna del Cura, and the Amusement Park. These venues have been offered to non-state economic actors with the aim of reopening them before July 26, as highlighted in a report published by the official newspaper 5 de Septiembre on Thursday.
Eddy Víctor Hernández Cruz, director of the Cienfuegos Business Group of Commerce, explained that the process began by identifying closed units or those with limited services due to the economic crisis, energy shortages, and workforce exodus.
According to Hernández, the decision was to call for a public tender to incorporate private actors with relevant activities to manage these establishments.
Although the authorities emphasized that this does not constitute privatization, Hernández stated that "the State will remain the owner of the property" and will only engage entrepreneurs "when we cannot," under cooperative management, consignment, and commission contracts.
Ana Juvier Chaple, municipal director of Gastronomy, Accommodation, and Recreation, asserted that the state company retains its authority and keeps the workers while recovering services.
In practice, the decision transfers the necessary investment for rehabilitating deteriorated facilities and the operational risk to micro and small enterprises (mipymes), while property ownership stays with the State and contracts remain subject to the regulatory framework set by the authorities.
The mipyme Las Rocas del Sur took over the management of the grill at the Covadonga restaurant. Its representative, Maydolis Campos Antón, promised to revive the traditional seafood and cocktail offerings that characterized the establishment.
The Club Caribe is now managed by the mipyme Somos2CM, whose leader, Aniel Alberto Vilariño Herrera, mentioned that he relocated his previously home-operated business there with the intention to expand.
This transfer of establishments is part of the 176 economic measures announced by the government in June. These measures include promoting non-state management forms in commerce, gastronomy, and services, as well as the creation of private restaurant chains and opening up to international franchises, acknowledging the State's growing difficulties in sustaining numerous public businesses.
The situation in Cienfuegos is not unique. Weeks ago, the Cimex corporation in Sancti Spíritus opened tenders for 12 commercial premises it could not operate independently.
In November 2025, the Ministry of Domestic Trade put deteriorated premises in Havana up for tender, and in August of the same year, the government handed over state bars in Holguín under the same scheme.
This pattern is replicated across the nation, with the State relinquishing what it cannot administer and entrepreneurs taking on the risk of investing in facilities that have collapsed due to decades of centralized planning.
FAQs on Private Management of Culinary Venues in Cienfuegos
Why did the Cuban government transfer management of these venues to private operators?
The government transferred management to private operators due to its inability to maintain these venues operational, as they suffered from closure or deterioration under state management.
What is the role of private operators in this initiative?
Private operators are responsible for investing in and rehabilitating these facilities, managing them under cooperative contracts, and reviving traditional offerings and services.
Does this transfer of management mean privatization?
No, it does not equate to privatization. The State retains ownership of the properties and only engages private operators when state management fails, maintaining control over the regulatory framework.