From the Estefans’ culinary legacy to street salsa classes, there are plenty of ways to celebrate in Central Florida.
Imagine a colorful promenade lined with palm trees, vintage collectible cars, with places that offer delicious cocktails, sweets, coffee and even top-notch cuisine, live music, gardens where children play and attractions for the more daring; chairs and spaces to enjoy the afternoon while a dance class takes place… No, these are not the lyrics of a Jimmy Buffett song, but a boulevard in Orlando, where people live on perpetual vacations. This is the Promenade at Sunset Walk, an area located in the center of the state of Florida and home to, among other places, the emblematic Estefan Kitchen restaurant.
It is one of those parts of the city where tourism is less anxious and locals live the vacation fantasy all year round because almost everything needed for a pleasant vacation is here, especially at this time, when Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated and Latin culture takes a leading role within the diversity characteristic of this state.
For the first time, the Promenade at Sunset Walk is celebrating with a weekly event called.
Sunday-Latin-Sunday, where music, flavours and dance come together. So we wanted to find out what it is all about and how it fits in with the many initiatives that exalt our culture in the region.
Pablo Otero, Senior Director of Entertainment at NDM Hospitality, the company that operates the property, explains that this initiative is due to the great interest of visitors in living new experiences with which to identify culturally. “We thought it was very important to offer something different, since most of the entertainment events that take place at the property are rock and pop, so this new format introduces Latin culture to an audience that is not as familiar with it.”
Otero is from Puerto Rico, but has lived in Orlando with his family since childhood. As a teenager, fascinated by the world of music, he became a DJ and later began working in live shows, producing many of the music festivals in Orlando. Then, his time in the military took him around the world for 10 years and among the many things he learned, in addition to military life, was the appreciation for cultural expression through entertainment, so upon returning he took up that great passion again, which brought him to NDM Hospitality in 2019.
And for Otero, it is precisely in this cultural variety that the great value of Hispanic Heritage Month lies. “The celebration of this month will help many people learn about our culture, to differentiate our accents, our gastronomy, to know that we are from different countries and, above all, to make people aware of our contributions to this country.”
The value of experience
An important detail worth highlighting is that in order to offer truly differentiating experiences in a city with so many tourist attractions, it is necessary to have experts in the field of service. Such is the case of Tony Montana, a legendary personality in the restaurant industry in Florida, who has been working for Emilio and Gloria Estefan in their restaurants for 24 years.
Montana, who is Mexican, says that as maître d’ at Estefan Kitchen – and previously at Bongo’s – it is a great pride and commitment to work for the Estefans for so long and to represent with excellence the Latin culture, of which they have been the standard-bearer in the United States.
A maître d’ is the head waiter at a restaurant, and for Montana that essentially means he is responsible for providing great service, not just in terms of food but also entertainment. “The goal is for people to leave this place fascinated so they want to come back,” he says, noting that the ultimate key is to exceed visitors’ expectations, especially considering that there is so much to do and enjoy in Orlando.
“The secret to good service is paying attention to detail. Anticipating what visitors need, and if there is an opportunity, creating magical moments for diners from the moment they enter the establishment,” says Montana, who emphasizes that it is extremely important that each visitor leaves with a good impression of both the place and the Latin culture in general. “Our challenge is to show that the Latin community is as important as any other in this country, and for that, Hispanic Heritage Month offers a great opportunity.”
“It took a long time to establish this month. The Latino community has existed in this country for hundreds of years and that is why it is essential to express everything we are and what our contributions are. Hispanic Heritage Month is necessary and a good opportunity to highlight our value to Florida and to the entire country.”
Sunday-Latin-Sunday takes place starting at 5:00 pm, every Sunday at Promenade at Sunset Walk and actively involves DJs Gabriel, J Quezt, Elie and K1X playing the best merengue, salsa, Latin pop and bachata, the offerings of restaurants El Jefe Tequilas Taco Cantina, BR 77 Brazilian Steak House and Estefan Kitchen Orlando and free salsa classes starting at 6:30 pm.
