Havana Vancouver

Havana Vancouver Inspired by the colours, tastes, and culture of Old Havana, Cuba

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Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape ou...
09/23/2026

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape our story.

Meet Reuben Major.

Reuben became part of Havana’s story when he stepped in to take over the restaurant and help carry one of Commercial Drive’s most beloved neighbourhood spaces into its next chapter.

By then, Reuben had already spent years building hospitality spaces around Vancouver, but Havana was different. It had history, personality and a community that had already made it their own.

Over the years, Reuben has helped Havana evolve while holding onto the things that make it feel like Havana. He’s been there through changes, challenges, new ideas and plenty of late nights, building the teams and systems behind the scenes that keep the restaurant moving.

For Reuben, hospitality has never just been about opening a restaurant. It’s about creating places people want to return to, building teams who care about what they do, and giving a neighbourhood somewhere to gather.

Years after he first became part of Havana’s story, Reuben is still here, helping shape what comes next.

https://www.havanavancouver.com/havana-30

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape ou...
09/22/2026

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape our story.

Meet Alexa Greenman.

Alexa joined Havana in the spring of 2018, shortly after moving back to Vancouver from Kelowna. She was immediately struck by the care that went into hospitality, along with the food and cocktails, and almost on the spot asked for a job.

She started as a bartender and quickly moved into the Bar Manager role, becoming part of the team carrying Havana through some of its biggest chapters.

When COVID brought everything to a halt, Alexa was there when it was time to rebuild. With a little more room to play, she leaned into the silly and unexpected, creating holiday activations and finding new ways to bring some excitement back to Havana.

Over the years, her role grew beyond the bar, eventually leading her into the Beverage Director position and giving her the chance to help shape beverage programs across the group.

But it all started at Havana.

Eight years later, it’s still a place Alexa is incredibly proud to be part of, and a community that has given her the opportunity to learn, grow and build relationships with so many people in the industry.

From bartender to Beverage Director, Alexa has been part of Havana’s story for eight years and counting.

https://www.havanavancouver.com/havana-30

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape ou...
09/21/2026

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape our story.

Meet Cait.

Cait joined Havana in April 2018, starting out in office administration, day leading and, perhaps most importantly, keeping Havana’s plants thriving. Before long, her role became a little bit of everything, stepping in wherever she was needed and helping keep things moving.

Then came 2020.

When COVID shut the doors, Cait helped keep Havana going through the takeout window, serving up margaritas and Cubanos to go, while also jumping over to Belgard to help with meal kit prep.

In 2021, Cait stepped into the role of Event Coordinator, working across both Havana and Belgard and becoming part of countless events, celebrations and moments along the way.

From plants and margaritas to meal kits and events, Cait has worn a lot of hats over the years. More than eight years after she first walked through the doors, she’s still here, helping bring people together and carrying Havana’s story forward.

From 2018 to 30, Cait has been part of a lot of Havana chapters. And there are plenty more stories to come.

https://www.havanavancouver.com/havana-30

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape ou...
09/20/2026

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape our story.

Meet Rich.

Rich’s passion for hospitality has always been rooted in one simple idea: we have the opportunity to make someone’s day better.

For him, great hospitality goes far beyond great food and drinks. It’s about genuine connection, creating memorable experiences, and building spaces that feel like they truly belong to the neighbourhood.

That’s what makes Havana and Commercial Drive so special. After 30 years, Havana is more than a restaurant. It’s a gathering place woven into the fabric of the Drive, filled with generations of stories, celebrations, friendships, late nights, and thousands of signatures on the walls from people who have made their own memories here.

“What I love about this industry is that every day we get the chance to make someone’s day better through food, hospitality and genuine connection. Havana has been bringing people together for 30 years, and I’m proud to be part of the history of this place.”

https://www.havanavancouver.com/havana-30

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape ou...
09/19/2026

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape our story.

Meet Andrew Hounslow.

Andrew has been part of Havana’s story in ways that go far beyond the kitchen.

He joined the group in 2015 at Belgard Kitchen before moving over to Havana in 2018 as Head Chef. He wasn’t actually supposed to take on the role, but as the needs of the business changed, Andrew stepped up and found himself leading the kitchen for the next four years.

Those years brought some of Havana’s biggest challenges, from navigating a devastating fire to the uncertainty of COVID.

When Havana began rebuilding after the pandemic in May 2020, Andrew was at the heart of it. He helped rebuild the menu from the ground up, starting with something as simple and iconic as a Cubano, and worked with the team to redefine what Havana could be in its next chapter.

In 2018, Andrew also became a partner in Havana. Since then, he has taken on the role of Executive Chef for VanUrban, helping shape the food and kitchen teams across the group while continuing to be an important part of Havana’s story.

https://www.havanavancouver.com/havana-30

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape ou...
09/18/2026

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape our story.

Meet Merlin Fisk.

Merlin joined Havana in 2021, beginning his career in hospitality and quickly discovering a passion for the craft of bartending. He was particularly drawn to the creativity and precision of cocktails.

In 2023, Merlin became part of the founding team behind The Flamingo Room, Havana’s sister business, which opened in December that year in the space that was once home to Havana Theatre.

He stepped into bar management before eventually taking on responsibility for the room as a whole. This progression has allowed him to grow not only as a bartender and cocktail developer, but also as a leader.

Along the way, he’s developed a strong appreciation for the details that make hospitality memorable, from thoughtful cocktail development and continually refining the guest experience, to building and leading a dedicated team that consistently delivers to a high standard.

He’s driven by creating environments where both guests and the people behind the experience can thrive.

https://www.havanavancouver.com/havana-30

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape ou...
09/17/2026

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape our story.

Meet Taryn Howard.

Taryn’s time at Havana started in the summer of 2019, when she joined the team as a host, thinking it would be a part-time job and a way to get introduced to the service industry.

Little did she know it would turn into a full-on Havana adventure.

By the fall, she had moved into a full-time Shift Lead role, and from there, she took every opportunity to learn different roles and understand the business from the ground up. Over the years, she’s worn many hats, learned from countless people and picked up plenty of lessons along the way.

In spring 2025, she stepped into the General Manager role, which she continues to hold today.

From welcoming guests through the front door to leading the team and the day-to-day operation, it’s been an exceptional, life-changing journey.

What started as a summer job has turned into a career Taryn is incredibly proud of, and she’s still learning, growing and finding new ways to make Havana better every day.

https://www.havanavancouver.com/havana-30

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape ou...
09/16/2026

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape our story.

Meet Jefte Sistoza.

Jefte’s Havana story started in 2018 as a dishwasher, despite being very clear that he did not want to work in the kitchen. In fact, he swore he never would.

Fast forward through years of working just about every position imaginable, both day and night, and Jefte became Havana’s Head Chef in April 2025.

He was also part of the team that helped bring Havana back after COVID, helping rebuild the restaurant and bring it back to its heyday. His first dish on the menu was the beloved enchiladas, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Jefte loves creating flavours in ways people may never have tried before, and outside the kitchen, he loves to travel by bike, car or plane. But what he loves most is the simple happiness of feeding the people he cares about, whether that’s family, friends or the guests at Havana.

From dishwasher to Head Chef, Jefte is a pretty great example of how the people who work at Havana become part of its story.

https://www.havanavancouver.com/havana-30

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape ou...
09/15/2026

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape our story.

Meet Evan Fong.

Evan found his way to Havana after getting his start in hospitality at Nuba, where he began as a host before making the move behind the bar. When he joined us, he started as a bartender and, over the years, worked his way up to become our current Bar Manager.

Along the way, he’s built a deep, hands-on understanding of what goes into running a great bar, from creating a welcoming experience for guests to all the behind-the-scenes details that keep things moving.

And after all those years behind the bar, he still knows how to get out from behind it.

When he’s off the clock, Evan trades cocktails for mountains, snowboarding through the winter and mountain biking through the rest of the year.

https://www.havanavancouver.com/havana-30

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape ou...
09/14/2026

Every Havana story has a person behind it. Today, we’re introducing you to another one of the faces that helped shape our story.

Meet Andrei Petchenov.

Andrei started at Havana in January 2013 as a dishwasher and, over the years, worked his way through the different stations in the kitchen.

One of his favourite parts of the job was creating new desserts, but the best part by far was the people. Working alongside so many great people over the years became one of the most memorable parts of his time at Havana.

After leaving in 2019, Andrei worked briefly as a freelance cook before taking a completely different path and moving to Toronto to pursue a career as a programmer.

https://www.havanavancouver.com/havana-30

Address

1212 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC
V5L3X4

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 11pm
Tuesday 11am - 11pm
Wednesday 11am - 11pm
Thursday 11am - 11pm
Friday 11am - 11pm
Saturday 10am - 11pm
Sunday 10am - 11pm

Telephone

+16042539119

Website

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