Norma Bedell shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Norma, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Would YOU hire you? Why or why not?
Absolutely YES! I possess integrity, grit, a very high work ethic, and a passion for whatever I do. These are key to success in any business. However, it can affect your personal life, so finding a work-life balance is important. I am just now trying to do that, but admittedly, it remains my Achilles heel.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I own and operate The Cuban Empanada & Fry Bar Cafe (TCE), located at 5411 Beaumont Center Blvd., Suite 705, Tampa, FL 33634. It is what some of our customers refer to as “a hidden gem” because we are in a business park, which takes some twists and turns to get to, but once you find TCE, you will never forget us.
We opened our operation in a ghost kitchen in 2019 during the pandemic for delivery and catering only. We opened our first location on Armenia Avenue in Tampa. The day we opened, I found out my husband of 30 years was sick. Within that same month of opening, he was diagnosed with stage three pancreatic cancer. Within six months, stage three turned into stage four, and the fight for his life turned into a death sentence for us all. This tragedy caused us to close the day-to-day operations for three months while I watched my amazing husband and father prepare to leave us. I only worked on catering requests and paid the bills to keep the restaurant for our future whenever we could get back to it. This devastated our lives for sure. My youngest daughter and I took a month-long road trip to clear our minds. When we returned from our leave, we went to work for sure. I hired additional staff as we grew and even opened a second location with a local coffee company to help them with the food side of their business. It was a win/win, or so I thought. When I started to run the day-to-day operations at their location and never saw a penny of what I was earning, paying out to one of my staff members that I brought over to help out, and then realized I was paying half the rent and utilities that were not getting paid at all, I pulled out.
The management company at Beaumont Center appreciated our collaboration because of our food and asked us to apply for the space once the coffee company vacated. We are excited about the possibility of having two locations and prepared for that expansion. Unfortunately, my staff quit during opening week, so we waited out the lease on our first location, which expired a couple of months later, and I moved my family to the Beaumont Center location so we could function. It was a difficult decision since my husband helped build out the first location, and I really wanted to keep both, but physically and financially, I knew it would be to our detriment to keep both.
We jumped headfirst into the second location and added the “Cafe” name to The Cuban Empanada & Fry Bar logo. It has had its highs and lows for sure, but we were in it to win it.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I worked in higher education for 26 years, and thought that was my calling. I went all the way through college, earning several degrees along the way, including two master’s degrees, and am currently a Ph.D. Candidate, All But Dissertation (ABD). I was satisfied but not fulfilled, if that makes any sense.
When did you last change your mind about something important?
I change my mind like the wind, and sometimes it’s daily. You have to realize that it is ok to say, “nope, that was not a good idea” and shift!
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
It is impossible to start your own business. I am not going to candy-coat it, though. There are ins and outs, twists and turns, hard facts, and money that need to go into it, but it can be done; that is where the grit and determination come into play!
There is also a great deal of detail that I had to learn the hard way. I am in the restaurant business, and there are state and county laws that you need to know for successful audits of your business, like grease trap and hood vent maintenance, business insurance, details in your lease that require maintenance like their A/C unit, etc. You know, the not-so-fun stuff.
I just wanted to cook, but I also couldn’t afford to hire someone to handle the management and day-to-day business side of the restaurant. That is the side I don’t like, but it is necessary for success. Things can go by the wayside very quickly, and your business will suffer.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I would stop working and travel the world. I watched my husband pass away without getting the privilege to see all of the places he wanted to see before he left this world (we went to Hawaii, but he was too sick to truly enjoy it). I don’t want to do the same, so I will be closing the work chapter of my own life soon, even though I hope to have a lot more than 10 years left of my own life, to see the world for him!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Thecubanempanada.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecubanempanada/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Cuban-Empanada/100067624387436/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-cuban-empanada-and-fry-bar-cafe-tampa
Image Credits
favoritechef.com
