The reopening hype was quickly quelled by the employees’ clarification that, due to the low availability of ice cream, only two specialties are now served per person.
14ymedio, José Lassa, Havana, 6 February 2025 — Coppelia is open! was the most common comment this Wednesday on the central corner of 23rd and L in Havana’s El Vedado neighborhood. The popular ice cream shop resumed service after more than two months in which supply problems and a remodeling forced it to close. The reopening has come, of course, with restrictions on the quantity served per customer and with a price increase.
A long line of customers, both curious and hopeful, waited this morning to enter the courts on the ground floor, either La Torre superior or the more select Las 4 Joyas where the menu boards announced the traditional combinations of the place: ensalada [a ‘salad’ in name only], three graces, super twins, white cow, pinto and prieta, jimaguas, harlequin and Sunday. The variety of flavors, although far from the dozens that the “cathedral of ice cream” displayed in its beginnings, was much greater than before the shutdown of the Coppelia factory, last December, due to lack of ammonia for the refrigeration system.
However, the hype about the reopening was quickly shut down by the employees’ clarification that, due to the low availability of ice cream, they are now only serving two specialties per person. The warning had already been made in the official press by Yeny González Ortiz, head of services at the Recreatur Company.
Another cold shower was the new prices, which, although still subsidized, have risen significantly compared to previous years. A scoop of ice cream, depending on the specialty and what it comes with, costs between 30 and 40 pesos, far from the 7 or 9 pesos it cost less than three years ago.
The popular ’salad’, with five scoops and a couple of sweets, now costs 155 pesos, and if you want to add a donut or a tart, you have to add 50 or 75 pesos, respectively. The new prices have come, however, with more careful service. “At least they are serving cold water and everything looks a little cleaner,” acknowledged a young woman who opted for a ’Three Graces’ of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.
“The ice cream is solid and I haven’t found any ice chunks yet,” added an elderly man, surprised by a quality that, he suspected, “might not last long.” The experience of having fewer services and fewer menu items after opening a restaurant surfaced on Wednesday in the form of anecdotes and predictions.
In the outdoor areas, covered with awnings, and also in Las 4 Joyas, the payment method is exclusively through the electronic gateways EnZona and Transfermóvil, while in the rest of the indoor premises, payment can also be made in cash.
In the parking lot area there are two points of sale offering ice cream cones for those customers who are in a hurry and do not want to wait in long lines. Meanwhile, on the upper floor, La Torre, two young people were trying a combination of pineapple and chocolate swirl ice cream on Wednesday. Through the window, right next to their table, you can see the Torre K, the luxury hotel that is about to open and where ice cream will not be paid for in Cuban pesos nor will it be rationed.
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