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Kirsten Herrera-Root and her husband Rich Root decided to pay tribute to a family migration story that began in the 1960s, when the Herrera family left Cuba to rebuild their lives in the U.S., opening a restaurant in Olympia, Washington.
The result is Mi Luna Cuban Café, the first Cuban restaurant in the state capital. “My story, my family's story, is very important to me”, said Herrera-Root, 51, to the newspaper The Olympian.
The Herrera family emigrated from Cuba in the early 1960s and settled in Olympia. There, the children and grandchildren grew up, surrounded by distant memories of the island and the effort to keep traditions alive. Decades later, in April 2025, the third generation returned to those roots through the kitchen.
“There were lines at the door. We almost ran out of food several times because Cuban food takes time,” recalls Herrera-Root about the early days of opening. The reception was better than expected. “People come in and tell us that the food tastes like home.”
The menu includes typical Cuban dishes and incorporates Dominican flavors, in honor of the years the family lived in the Dominican Republic from 2006 to 2013.
Each corner of the establishment holds a piece of the past: recovered stained glass windows, church benches, old photographs, and newspaper clippings telling the stories of the Herrera family, preserving the memory of a family shaped by migration. Even one of the central pillars features a framed drawing of the building, overlaid with articles from the local newspaper The Olympian.
"The story would be very different if we had not been welcomed in the United States and in this community,” reflected Herrera-Root, who returned to her hometown two years ago after living in Tacoma and abroad.
The executive chef of the restaurant, Miriam-Xiomara Padilla, is not Cuban, but after a trip to Miami and an immersion in the migratory history of the community, she understood the emotional weight of cooking these dishes. "Being offered the position to honor their family through the food I cook is very meaningful to me," she expressed.
Padilla, a woman of Mexican and Spanish descent, emphasizes the value of Cuban cuisine as "simple yet complex." Recipes that require up to 60 hours of preparation between marinating and cooking, with flavors rooted in a sauté of onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
In addition to its culinary value, Mi Luna has become a gathering place for the Latin and Caribbean community in Olympia. "One of our dreams is to build community and celebrate diversity," emphasized Herrera-Root. Today, her children also work at the restaurant, ensuring that the family legacy continues.
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