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Overview

Seattle architect Lloyd Lovegren (1906-1989) designed three Trader Vic's lounges in Havana, Cuba, Denver, CO (1954), and Chicago, IL, (1957) for Victor Jules "The Trader" Bergeron, Jr., (1902-1984), the owner of this Polynesian-themed chain of bars. A short time after this location opened, Fidel Castro (1926-2016) led the Cuban Revolution and the manager of this bar was shot on his way to the airport as he fled the country.

Building History

The Havana Trader Vic's was nationalized after Castro took power, and became a government-run tiki bar, renamed "El Polinesio." This branch of the chain was located inside the Tryp Habana Libre hotel, later called the "Cuba Libre Hotel." It was still in operation in 2018. (See Critiki.com, "Trader Vic's Havana, Cuba" accessed 10/03/2018.)

PCAD id: 5390