Palmares presents its franchises at FIHAV

The Palmares S.A. Extrahotel Enterprise presented three of its most emblematic brands—La Bodeguita del Medio, El Floridita, and El Gato Tuerto—at the Havana International Fair (FIHAV 2025), as part of a strategy to boost its internationalization through franchising.

According to Onaidis Ramírez Sánchez, business specialist for this entity of the Ministry of Tourism, the initiative seeks to promote Cuba’s image worldwide, highlight its cultural and artistic heritage, and strengthen the national tourism business strategy.

The franchise model allows investors to use the brand and market its products and services for a specific period, in exchange for payment. The contracts are tailored to the needs of each partner and can be established in different modalities: single-member, master, representative, or license agreement.

Once the agreement is signed, Palmares guarantees support: it provides know-how, coordinates with Cuban producers and exporters, offers specialized advice, systematically supervises, and ensures territorial exclusivity.

This step complements other company initiatives, such as the First International Franchise Workshop held in Varadero in September, designed to position these brands as expressions of Cuban identity. They are “symbols of authenticity that complement the marketing strategy for Cuba as a destination,” highlighted Palmares CEO Lázaro Darién Casabella Hernández.

La Bodeguita del Medio already has franchises in Mexico and the Czech Republic, while in Cuba, new locations have opened in tourist destinations such as Varadero, Holguín, Santiago de Cuba and Trinidad.

The presentation at FIHAV concluded with a tasting of the cocktails that have gained these sites international fame: the daiquiri from El Floridita, the mojito from La Bodeguita del Medio and the unique “Orgasmo del gato” from El Gato Tuerto.