Mambo Lounge

Opening Mambo Lounge was no first step into Cuban food and culture for owner Andres Gonzales. In the 1990s, after graduating from university as a nuclear engineer, he quickly shifted gears to promote tourism in his native country, Cuba. Andres helped develop Cayo Coco and Havana as major tourist destinations and was the director of one of the biggest hotels in Cuba. In 2001, he was promoted to Canada to run a major campaign for Cuban tourism.

Andres and his family fell in love with Toronto and decided to stay. But there was a piece missing. “I was missing my culture,” he explains. “Cubans enjoy life. It doesn’t matter who your parents are, or the situation you are in. We try to get the best out of life.” At first, he decided to start a place for him and his friends. “It was a place for us to hang out on the weekends and enjoy Cuban music and food.”

It wasn’t too long before the gathering of Cuban friends grew to the next level. “At the time, the Danforth was a hot spot,” recalls Andres. “We started to build a new hangout where people could experience a piece of Cuba.” In 2006, Mambo opened its doors to the Danforth community. While now much bigger than the original “friend” concept, it remains true to its family roots.