14TH ANNUAL CUBAN SANDWICH FESTIVAL: YBOR CITY!
HISPANIC CRF FESTIVALS
STATION HOUSE BBQ!
1ST PLACE NON-TRADITIONAL WINNER AT 14TH ANNUAL INLT. CUBAN SANDWICH FESTIVAL!
14TH ANNUAL CUBAN SANDWICH FESTIVAL: YBOR CITY!
LTM: What is your earliest memory of a Cuban Sandwich? STATION HOUSE BBQ: My parents serving it at like every party ever. My mom was sad to move away from them when we moved out to Riverview, so she would drive over to the West Tampa Sandwich Shop for them constantly. I loved the bread; it didn ' t matter what was in it as long as it was on Cuban bread. I didn ' t really start taking an interest in what was inside the Cuban Sandwich until I was an adult and began to play around with the ingredients. Then there was no stopping me.
LTM: How did you learn how to make your Cuban Sandwich? STATION HOUSE: We ordered them so much that we started making them ourselves. And once I figured out how to make smoked guava pork, it was all over for me. I had to make these for everyone I knew.
LTM: Tell us about your business? And your team? STATION HOUSE: I started out cooking for friends and family until they finally insisted on paying us. My wife has helped me from the start, and now our team has grown and is the best and most supportive ever.
LTM: What makes your Cuban Sandwich better than most – and maybe the BEST in your opinion? STATION HOUSE: I ' d tell you, but then I ' d have to kill you!
LTM: Tell us about your experience of competing in the Cuban Sandwich Festival. STATION HOUSE: First year, we were a total mess. I remember carrying a giant sandwich press across Centennial Park because my wife was so overwhelmed at 36 weeks pregnant helping me that she just parked and didn ' t even try to pull up to our spot for me to unload it. We sold out in only a few hours and admitted we had begun the day with no real idea of what was in store for us! The people of Tampa all showed up and wanted their beloved Cuban sandwiches. Our next Cuban sandwich festival was much better, and we placed for the first time! We even brought our giant smoker that year and just kept smoking pork butts for our Cuban sandwich-loving customers.
LTM: What did being a winner in the Cuban Sandwich Festvial mean to you? And what impact has there been if any? STATION HOUSE: Being a winner has given us the confidence to increase our business and to take the chance to prepare to serve more Cuban sandwiches than we could have ever imagined!