Havana Harry's, the Cuban restaurant that has operated on South LeJeune Road in Coral Gables since 1995, is set to reopen this fall after more than a year affected by two separate closures. The restaurant says it passed two follow-up health inspections and will return with an updated dining room and its established menu.
The saga began in June 2025, when the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation temporarily shut the restaurant down after inspectors found live roaches crawling near food preparation zones, on electrical outlets, and behind kitchen equipment, according to WPLG Local 10. That closure drew scrutiny not just for the pest findings but for how management handled the notice: as Miami New Times reported at the time, staff placed a printed sign reading “closed for repairs” over the entrance, which obscured the required orange state closure notice. Havana Harry's cleared two follow-up inspections and reopened within days.
The second closure involved a different authority. On August 21, 2025, the Coral Gables Development Services Department ordered the restaurant closed indefinitely over building-code matters, including electrical issues, unauthorized interior work and gas-leak repairs performed without city permits, according to an official notice at the property described by CiberCuba. Centurion Restaurant Group has said the city action was separate from the earlier state sanitation case.
What the city requires before reopening
Coral Gables treats the building side of a restaurant closure separately from state health enforcement. The city's Building Division oversees permitting, Florida Building Code plan review and related inspections, according to Coral Gables Development Services. For work involving permits and inspections, the city's stated path to a Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Completion requires all required inspections to show as passed, no pending sub-permits and payment of applicable fees, according to the city's Development Services guidance. The available information establishes those requirements, but does not by itself document Havana Harry's final certificate status.
Layoffs Hit Nearly Half the Staff
The extended shutdown took a real toll on the restaurant's workforce. On August 28, 2025, Havana Harry's filed a state WARN Act notice, signed by Centurion Restaurant Group executive Milciades Pachas, confirming that 28 of its 77 employees would be permanently laid off in two rounds between August 24 and August 31. The move was first detailed by Miami New Times in its reporting on the city-forced closure. Remaining workers were expected to be reassigned to other Centurion concepts, including Bulla Gastrobar, Pisco y Nazca, and Beehive Kitchen, all part of the group's South Florida portfolio.
The restaurant's ownership changed in 2022, when Carlos Centurion's company acquired Havana Harry's. At the time, Centurion said the group planned to operate the flagship for six to 12 months before considering expansion, with the goal of preserving its traditional "mom and pop" character, according to What Now Miami. During the shutdown, the company said it intended to retain the restaurant's established identity and recipes.
Nine Months of Silence Fueled Doubts
The long gap in public updates added to the uncertainty. Havana Harry's Instagram account was inactive from December 2025 until the fall 2026 reopening announcement, while management posted an apology referring to plumbing and kitchen upgrades, according to Miami New Times. Customers continued to ask online whether the restaurant would return; Centurion has since said it is ready to reopen.
Florida's restaurant oversight runs through the Division of Hotels and Restaurants within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, the state agency with authority to issue immediate emergency suspension orders when violations present a public safety hazard, as Hoodline has previously reported. That state-level enforcement power explains the initial June 2025 closure, while the longer, more damaging shutdown fell under the separate jurisdiction of Coral Gables' own building department, which polices permits, electrical work, and gas line repairs independent of health inspectors.
A Refreshed Dining Room, a Familiar Menu
The planned reopening includes an updated interior, while the menu is expected to retain familiar Cuban-American dishes such as chicken vaca frita, arroz con pollo, tres leches and flan. Breakfast service, including Cuban coffee and morning plates, is also expected to return.
The restaurant's reputation had been building for years before the shutdowns. Havana Harry's was named Best Cuban Restaurant by Miami New Times in 2020, and the Michelin Guide recognized it among Miami's top Cuban restaurants for three consecutive years through May 2024, according to CBS Miami. The building at 4612 South LeJeune Road dates to 1954 and has hosted more than a dozen restaurant concepts over the decades, including Raimondo's Italian, Tequila's, Tutti's, and Pazzia, according to posts shared in a Coral Gables history Facebook group.
A Tough Stretch for Coral Gables Dining
The restaurant's absence also comes as Coral Gables' established dining businesses face broader commercial pressures. Lotus Garden Restaurant on Miracle Mile closed permanently in October 2024 after 37 years, with Hoodline reporting that rising rents contributed to the decision. That case involved rent pressure rather than the permitting and building-code issues described in Havana Harry's second closure.
