The Cuban content creator Esperanzita DC (@esperanzitadc_) recently shared a video recounting an unpleasant experience at one of Havana's well-known restaurants, where she discovered a cockroach just as she was about to enjoy her dessert. Her post, titled “The cockroach that ruined my review,” details the incident at La Torre, a restaurant located in the FOCSA building in El Vedado.
Esperanzita explained, “My followers recommended La Torre. Everything seemed perfect—the place was beautiful, the ambiance delightful, the service outstanding. But when the dessert arrived, there was a dark little leg in mine, embedded in the sweet, unmistakably from a cockroach.”
After informing the waiter, he apologized and removed the plates, yet there was no further response from the establishment. “We waited 20 minutes for a manager to come and offer an explanation, but no one appeared. It was as if they wanted to sweep the issue under the rug,” Esperanzita criticized.
Subsequently, she requested the complaints book, leaving a written account of the incident, including her name and her role as a content creator. In her account, she also criticized the supposed manager's defensive attitude, who showed up with “a yellow sheet with a hair inside,” suggesting an alternative problem.
“Can a kitchen error occur? Unfortunately, yes. What cannot happen is indifference, being abandoned for 20 minutes, and a manager treating you with more suspicion than concern,” she expressed in her video.
Additionally, Esperanzita offered advice for those facing similar situations: “1. Take photos as evidence. 2. Demand to speak with the manager. 3. Request the complaints book. 4. Don’t be afraid to share your experience.”
The influencer's video has resonated widely with her followers, who recall that this isn't the first time Esperanzita DC has exposed irregularities in Cuban tourist facilities. Recently, she went viral for revealing bedbugs in a room at the Hotel Deauville, also in Havana. Following her complaint, the hotel offered her a new stay and demonstrated that they had applied sanitary treatment to the affected floor.
The current situation at La Torre raises concerns about the restaurant's hygiene protocols and crisis management. “What was supposed to be good, beautiful, and cheap turned into a lesson of what customer service should never be,” the influencer concluded.
Addressing Hygiene Issues at Cuban Restaurants
What should customers do if they find a hygiene issue in a restaurant?
Customers should take photos for evidence, request to speak with the manager, ask for the complaints book, and share their experience publicly if necessary.
How did the restaurant respond to the cockroach incident?
The waiter apologized and removed the plates, but there was no further response from management, leaving the issue unresolved.
Has Esperanzita DC exposed other issues in Cuban establishments before?
Yes, she previously went viral for highlighting a bedbug issue at the Hotel Deauville in Havana, prompting the hotel to address the problem.