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 |
| Products | Ice cream |
Coppelia is a famous chain of ice cream parlors in Cuba. It's named after a ballet called Coppélia. The first Coppelia was built in 1966. It was a big project supported by Fidel Castro, who was a leader in Cuba. Coppelia is run by the government and sells ice cream using Cuban money (Cuban pesos). The main Coppelia in Havana is huge! It has over 400 workers. It serves about 16,000 liters (that's like 4,200 gallons) of ice cream to 35,000 people every day.
When Coppelia first opened, it had a lot of different ice cream flavors – 26 of them! You could also choose from 25 different combinations. Today, it's common to see long lines. Usually, there are only one or two flavors available.
The Story of Coppelia
Coppelia was a special project started by Fidel Castro, a key leader in Cuba. His long-time secretary, Celia Sánchez, loved the ballet Coppélia. She decided to name the ice cream parlor after it.
The place where the first Coppelia was built used to be a hospital called Reina Mercedes. This hospital was there from 1886 to 1954. After the hospital was torn down, there were many different ideas for the site. People thought about building another hospital or even a 50-story skyscraper. But these plans didn't happen. Before Coppelia, the spot was used for a tourism display and then a night-time entertainment center.
Mario Girona was the architect who designed the new ice cream palace in 1966. He created a building that looked very modern and curvy. It was inspired by other architects who liked to use the flexible shape of concrete. The design also aimed to create a fun public space for everyone.
Growing Bigger
In March 2012, Venezuela announced plans to work with Cuba. They wanted to build a Coppelia ice cream factory in Venezuela. This would allow them to sell Coppelia ice cream there too. However, in April of the same year, a Cuban newspaper called Trabajadores wrote about some problems. They said the ice cream was sometimes hard to find or not very good. They also mentioned that the service at the parlor wasn't always great. Even after recent repairs, some freezers were still broken.
Havana's Famous Coppelia
The Coppelia in Havana is a very modern building from the time of the Cuban Revolution. It looks like a giant flying saucer! It has five white granite circles connected to a big spiral staircase. There are also wood and glass panels inside. All of this is under one large round roof. This roof is held up by twelve strong concrete columns that look a bit like spider legs.
This UFO-shaped building is one of the biggest ice cream parlors in the world. It can hold up to 1000 guests at once! You can find it on Calle 23, also known as La Rampa, in the Vedado district. It takes up a whole city block between Calles 23 and 21, and Calles K and L.
Coppelia Havana has been an important landmark for people living in Havana and for visitors since it opened in 1966. It became even more famous when it was shown in Strawberry and Chocolate, one of the most popular Cuban films.
The park area around the building is full of green plants and tall banyan trees. These trees give lots of shade for outdoor eating areas. Curved paths lead to a raised circular building. This is where the only indoor seating is located.
Gallery
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1908 view of the Hospital Reina Mercedes, which occupied the site before Coppelia.
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First sketch drawn by Mario Girona in 1965 for Havana's 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
