Loved ones are remembering the founder of the iconic Versailles Restaurant in Little Havana — known for being a place where cafecito, culture, and conversation converge — after he died Saturday at 89 years old.
Some say beloved restaurateur Felipe Valls Sr. created the "ventanita" concept that is now a Miami staple.
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WATCH HEREThose in his inner circle say he was much more than a businessman.
"He was an incredible Cuban, an incredible gentleman, everybody who had the privilege to meet him, everybody loved him and we are going to miss him," said renowned Cuban American musician Arturo Sandoval.
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Sandoval was friends with Valls for more than 30 years. Upon learning of his passing on Saturday, Sandoval wrote a song for his dear friend titled "Adios Felipe."
"I said the only thing I could do is write a piece for him with a wish that the piece could follow him to heaven," Sandoval said.
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Valls Sr. first opened Versailles as a small coffee shop in 1971. It quickly became a social, cultural and political hot spot.
Versailles is where the Cuban exile community gathers to protest the Cuban regime and where the sounds of pots and pans signal a home team win.
It became more than a restaurant. It's a Miami institution, forever part of the fabric of this community, and it was all spearheaded by Felipe Valls Sr., a Cuban exile with the will and a vision to create his American dream.
"It is painful to see people like him that love his country of birth and he died, he passed away without the opportunity to see his homeland free," Sandoval said.
Valls' children and children continue his legacy and will operate the businesses he established.
Funeral services will take place on Dec. 7 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Dec. 8 from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Caballero Rivero Funeral Home at 3344 SW 8th Street in Miami.
