A family that seems to have the Midas Touch when it comes to running restaurants in The Villages, is looking at taking over Hemingway’s at Havana.
George Suleiman confirmed to Villages-News.com on Thursday afternoon that he and his family are looking at the possibility of taking over the restaurant space at the Havana Country Club.
“We should know by the end of the week,” he said.
The Suleimans operate Johnny Rockets and RedSauce in Lake Sumter Landing. A little more than a year ago, they took over a spot where a Greek restaurant had languished at Spanish Springs Town Square. After extensive renovation, it reopened as Amerikanos Grille and has thrived.
If they move ahead at Havana Country Club, the Suleimans will have another chance to work their magic.
Veterans of the restaurant business, they appear to have figured out the niche that is The Villages.
“The biggest thing we teach our staff is that the people who come in here aren’t just customers; they’re friends and family,” Suleiman said in an interview earlier this year with Villages-News.com.
Success has been elusive at Havana Country Club.
In 2014, restaurant veterans came in, changed the decor and spruced up the menu. This week, entertainers in The Villages began informing their fans that performance dates at Hemingway’s at Havana had been canceled “due to new ownership.”
So now the stage is set for the Suleimans.
