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Felipe A. Valls Sr. is a Cuban exile who created Miami’s iconic walk-up coffee windows. He launched a chain of Cuban restaurants and established Versailles Restaurant—which has garnered national notice for decades as a bustling meeting place for politicians and large crowds of demonstrators. He is famous for bringing the Cuban cuisine to Miami. Mr. Valls passed away at 89 in Miami on November 26. He was one of the wealthiest businessmen, and now his children look after his business. Let’s look at Felipe Valls net worth when he was alive.
Felipe Valls Net Worth
In the 62 years of his stay in America, Felipe A. Valls established an empire. After years of hard work, Felipe Valls net worth was in the millions.
Felipe Valls: Experiences and Credentials
Felipe Luis Valls and Dolores Bravo welcomed Felipe Alberto Valls into the world on March 8, 1933, in Santiago de Cuba. In 1947, his parents moved him to the United States to attend the Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Georgia, for high school.
He returned to Cuba in 1950, having graduated, and started his own business there. He owned the well-known Lido Supper Club, a restaurant, and petrol stations. Later, he established a sizable manufacturing facility that produced bottles for liquor brands like Bacardi and burlap sacks for the cement business.
As Castro gained power, Mr. Valls’s enterprises were taken over. At 27, Mr. Valls left the nation in 1960, taking Leticia, his 4-year-old daughter, Felipe Jr., his 2-year-old son, and his wife Aminta.
Soon after arriving in America, Mr. Valls secured a secondhand restaurant equipment dealer job. Later, he managed to convince the proprietor to give him a loan to buy espresso machinery from Spain and Italy. He eventually started his own business selling restaurant supplies.
Mr. Valls designed Miami’s iconic ventanitas: walk-up windows offering coffee, pastelitos, and croquetas. His portfolio eventually included about thirty restaurants, such as La Palma, a Miami restaurant most known for its lines of churros and hot chocolate, and La Carreta, which is currently a chain of Cuban family-style restaurants throughout South Florida.
Felipe Valls passed away at the age of 89. His granddaughter Nicole Valls, who assisted in managing Versailles Eatery, confirmed this information.
Felipe Valls: Professional Journey
After that, Valls bought Badia’s restaurant in Little Havana and developed it into a well-known destination for Cuban food. He eventually sold the business to obtain money to purchase the renowned location where he built Versailles in 1971. The iconic “ventanita” concept in Miami, which is a walk-up window offering Cuban coffee and pastries, was invented by Valls.
The Valls Group employs over 2,000 people and operates over 30 businesses, including MesaMar, Casa Juancho, Versailles, La Carreta, and Casa Cuba. It also has many outposts at Miami International Airport that serve millions of passengers annually. Felipe Jr., the CEO and President of the Valls Group, will remain in that role, supported by his daughter Jeannette Valls Edwards and granddaughters who have carried on Valls’ legacy.
Felipe Valls: Endorsement and skills
As a fervent advocate for liberty and democracy in Cuba, Valls belonged to the US-Cuba Democracy PAC, the Cuban American National Foundation, and the Cuban Liberty Council.
Throughout his life, he was bestowed with several distinguished honors and distinctions, such as the Felipe Valls Way part of Miami’s Calle Ocho, the Facts About Cuban Exiles Award, and the University of Miami Mambí Award.
FAQs
How many restaurants does Felipe Valls own?
The Valls Group consists of more than thirty businesses.
Who owns La Carreta?
The Valls Group owns La Carreta.
