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A Cuban café in Florida brings rhythm to the streets, under shade.
Emilio and Gloria Estefan know how to treat their guests. Bring lots of interesting people together, provide good food and drink, and mix in generous amounts of top-quality music—Latin music, of course.
The Estefans’ new Bongos Cuban Café is a classic supper club modeled after the kind found back in Cuba, and located in the heart of Hollywood, Fla., overlooking Biscayne Bay. Part of the chain of supper clubs operated by the Miami-based husband and wife entrepreneurs, Bongos (the original Bongos Cuban Café opened in Miami in 2000) recently underwent an updating of its interior décor and outdoor dining area. These multi-layered canopies reflect the interior atmosphere created by the Estefans’ new restaurant.
Mounted on existing supports, the canopy comprises six alternating fabric-clad slightly curved panels, setting up a rhythmic visual cadence that is the equivalent of the Latin salsa, merengue and reggaeton music that emanates from inside. The taut fabric, a PVC-coated polyester, was chosen for its bright white and high reflectivity to complement the three rows of lighting that run under the canopy. Each panel is laced and grommeted to the powder-coated steel framing so that, if replacement panels are needed, it is quickly removed, and most importantly so that the assembly meets Miami’s stringent coastline codes.