Coppelia (ice cream parlor) facts for kids
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| Industry | Food Processing |
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| Founded | June 4, 1966 |
| Headquarters | Vedado, Havana City, Cuba |
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Key people
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Mario Girona (1966 architect) |
| Products | Ice cream |
Coppelia is a famous ice cream parlor chain in Cuba. It's named after a well-known ballet called Coppélia. This special ice cream spot was first built as part of a big project led by Fidel Castro. Coppelia is run by the government and sells its ice cream using the local money, Cuban pesos (CUP).
The Coppelia in Havana is huge! It has over 400 people working there. Every day, they serve about 16,000 liters (that's over 4,200 US gallons) of ice cream to around 35,000 customers. People in Havana often call it the "Cathedral of Ice Cream" because it's so big and popular.
When Coppelia first opened in 1966, it offered a lot of choices: 26 different flavors and 25 ways to mix them! Today, you might find long lines, and there are usually only one or two flavors available.
Contents
History of Coppelia
Coppelia was first created as a special project led by Fidel Castro. His longtime helper, Celia Sánchez, chose the name Coppelia. She named it after her favorite ballet, Coppélia.
What Was There Before?
The land where the first Coppelia was built used to have a hospital called Reina Mercedes. This hospital was there from 1886 until 1954, when it was taken down. At first, there were plans to build another hospital. Then, there were ideas for a 50-story skyscraper! But none of these plans happened.
Later, a tourism building called Parque INIT was on the site. After that, it became a night-time entertainment center. Finally, Coppelia took over the spot.
Designing the Ice Cream Palace
Mario Girona was the architect who designed the new ice cream palace in 1966. The building's style was inspired by modern architects from Italy, Mexico, and South America. These architects liked to use curved shapes and strong concrete instead of just straight lines. The design of Coppelia also showed the idea of creating a fun public space for everyone.
Coppelia's Growth and Challenges
In March 2012, Venezuela announced plans to work with Cuba. They wanted to build a Coppelia ice cream factory in Venezuela and start selling the ice cream there.
However, in April of the same year, a Cuban newspaper called Trabajadores wrote about some problems at Coppelia. They talked about not having enough ice cream, the quality not being great, and sometimes the service wasn't very good. This was even after some recent repairs! One of the issues mentioned was broken freezers.
Reopening with New Flavors
In February 2025, Coppelia reopened its doors. It had been closed for three months because of money problems and changes to its prices. When it closed, Coppelia could only offer one ice cream flavor. Now, it has more flavors, but the prices are also higher. This happened during a time of economic challenges in Cuba.
Where is Coppelia Located?
The Coppelia in Havana is a very modern building from the time of the Cuban Revolution. It has five white granite circles connected to a large spiral staircase. There are also wood and colored glass panels. All of this is under one big round roof, held up by twelve strong concrete columns that look a bit like spider legs.
This building looks like a flying saucer or a UFO! It's one of the biggest ice cream parlors in the world. It can hold up to 1000 people at once. You can find it on Calle 23, a street known as La Rampa, in the Vedado area. It takes up a whole city block between Calles 23 and 21, and Calles K and L.
Coppelia Havana has space for 547 customers to sit. It has been an important landmark for both locals and visitors since it opened in 1966. It became even more famous after being shown in a very popular Cuban movie called Strawberry and Chocolate.
Around the building, there's a park area with lots of green plants and tall banyan trees. These trees provide shade for outdoor eating areas. Curved paths lead to a raised circular building where the only indoor seating is located.
Images for kids
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1908 view of the Hospital Reina Mercedes, which occupied the site before Coppelia.
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Interior detail, Coppelia Havana.
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Interior detail, Coppelia Havana.
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Old logotype at Coppelia Havana.
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Detail of one of the lounges, Havana.
See also
In Spanish: Coppelia (empresa) para niños
- Ubre Blanca
