Rumor: Havana 1957 Set to Close at Flamingo, Rebranding to Cafe Americano
We have eyes and ears everywhere. We also have a couple of uvulae out there as well, but let’s not get bogged down by details. Did you expect to learn the plural of uvula today? No! Did you? Possibly!
Our sources say the struggling Havana 1957 at Flaming is set to close, probably by the end of the year. It opened Dec. 28, 2024. We are not a math person, but that’s one year of operation. Or less. Oof.
The plan? The operators of Havana 1957, Vida & Estilo Restaurant Group, will rebrand the venue to Cafe Americano, mostly because original ideas can be very expensive if they don’t pan out. Please refer to our previous “oof.”
Vida & Estilo Restaurant Group, co-founded by Jamil Dib and Eduardo Araoz, operates Cafe Americano locations at Caesars Palace and Paris Las Vegas.
Bringing Havana 1957 to Flamingo sounded like a good idea at the time. There are several locations in Miami.
Why the name Havana 1957? The year 1957 evokes pre-revolutionary Havana, the peak of Cuba’s glamorous golden age, before Fidel Castro’s revolution in 1959 ruined everything. Havana 1957 is designed to evoke a fantasy version of old Havana when it was seen as exotic, carefree and sensual. The name seeks to convey a mood of pre-revolution rebellion, without the politics. It was Cuba before the fun stopped.
We have been doing a Las Vegas blog for more than a decade and we have never once heard anyone clamoring for Cuban food.
Here’s how the cuisine was described when the Flamingo location was announced: “Havana 1957’s menu takes diners on a tour of Cuban flavors, marrying traditional dishes like Ropa Vieja and Croquetas with Miami inspirations like Cuban Sandwiches and a signature Cuban Burger. Las Vegas’ unique menu will also include classic American breakfast favorites with Cuban flair, making Havana 1957 the perfect start and end to a day in Vegas. Exclusive to the Las Vegas outpost of Havana 1957, early risers can enjoy breakfast favorites with Cuban flavors, including Cuban Style Steak and Eggs, Tres Leches French Toast and the 1957 Benedict.”
Vida & Estilo and Caesars Entertainment learned the hard way (again) that concepts that work elsewhere, like Miami, don’t always translate to Las Vegas. (See also Fontainebleau.)
The restaurant never gained traction, so a course adjustment was apparently deemed the best option.
The restaurant situation at Flamingo is in flux at the moment.
The best example of that is the looming closure of Carlos’n Charlie’s. The party spot is being replaced by slot machines. We are not making this up. Slot machines generate more revenue than rent.
Modestly precludes us from mentioning we broke the Carlos’n Charlie’s closure story just as we’re breaking the Havana 1957 story.
Flamingo is in the throes of celebrity partnerships, as these have been very successful at other Caesars Entertainment resorts. Gordon Ramsay Burger opened in the Bird Bar space, Pinky’s by Vanderpump took over the former poker room footprint and Luke Combs’ Category 10 is moving into what was Margaritaville.
You never really hear anything about Cafe Americano because it’s unremarkable.
It just sounds sturdy.
Cafe Americano isn’t about a “wow” factor, it’s more of a “now” factor. You’re on vacation, you’re hungry, you need something now.
Havana 1957 was an expensive, but failed, experiment. Which is why we suspect the operators won’t spend a lot of money overhauling the decor as it transitions to Cafe Americano.
Had we not attended public school, we would make some profound connection between Havana 1957 becoming Cafe Americano in today’s political climate.
We’ll let ChatGPT do it: “In the current climate, accents make some people nervous. A restaurant called Cafe Americano feels safer—same comfort carbs, minus the cultural tension. It’s the culinary equivalent of code-switching: Replace ‘Havana’ with ‘Americano’ and suddenly everyone breathes easier. It’s not about food; it’s about optics. In a moment when Spanish-speaking artists get dragged for daring to headline the Super Bowl, the message is clear—heritage sells best when it’s repackaged in English.” The Mexican-themed Carlos’n Charlie’s had numerous accents, too. Coincidence?
ChatGPT is so canceled right now.
Flamingo, Caesars Entertainment and Havana 1957 have not announced or confirmed the closure of Havana 1957, or any rebrand. A Caesars Entertainment rep says they are not aware of any change, but the restaurant is a four-wall (a tenant deal), so the decision may have not been communicated to the company yet.
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