Sophie's Cuban Cuisine

Manuela Matos arrived in New York City in the late 1980s with a dream to open a restaurant in her new home. A restaurateur back home in Lima, Peru, Manuela was soon inspired during a dinner at a local Cuban restaurant, and the vision that would become Sophie’s was born. Manuela began selling Peruvian food from carts at the soccer fields of Queens, NY, to earn the money to make her dream a reality.

Manuela knew that the most important part of a Cuban restaurant is authentic Cuban flavors and dishes, so she placed an open-call for chefs in NYC. In walked Cuban chef Eduardo Morgado, who responded to the call with a sandwich press in-hand and has been making magic happen in Sophie's kitchen ever since.

The hard work paid off, and the first Sophie’s Cuban opened on Greenwich Street in June of 1997, blocks from the World Trade Center. Their business philosophy was simple - serve fresh, tasty food in good portions in a warm and inviting atmosphere. New Yorkers responded and have now been enjoying this taste of Cuba for almost three decades!

Sophie's Cuban has grown to 10 locations, with NINE in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn, and Manuela's three daughters - Sofia, Patricia, and Mila Luna - now run the business. With no plans to stop now, our delicious Cuban cuisine may be coming soon to a neighborhood near you!