Government puts state-owned bars up for bidding: Workers and self-employed individuals will be able to manage them

The Cuban government has launched a new bidding process for self-employed workers, cooperatives, and local projects to take over the management of state-run bars in the municipality of Rafael Freyre, Holguín, in an effort to revitalize the struggling gastronomy and services network.

The Municipal Company of Commerce and Gastronomy of Rafael Freyre called for the submission of proposals to lease four units: the Bar Nueva Onda (Juan Cantares), the Bar Bajo el Cerro, the Bar El Mango (Punto Fijo), and the Bar Sao Redondo (Melones).

Interested parties must submit business proposals in sealed envelopes, including a budget, description of activities, possible repair works, and even advertising plans with posters, recorded music, or artistic services, the announcement states.

The deadline for submitting proposals has been extended to August 30, and initiatives that preserve the basic services for the population, ensure better quality conditions, and promote the cultural traditions of the area will be prioritized. The use of renewable energy and social inclusion will also be taken into consideration, they note.

According to what the entity has stated, the measure is part of the "restructuring" of retail commerce in Cuba, where an increasing number of state-run businesses are being transferred to private ownership due to the state's inability to sustain them.

In 2023, the bidding for spaces at the Antonio Maceo International Airport in Santiago de Cuba was announced, along with the opening of EGREM venues to private management.

Most recently, in June 2025, the Heritage Management Company, in partnership with the Office of the Historian, launched a call for proposals to lease spaces on the Havana Malecón.

Although it was presented as a "unique opportunity," it sparked a wave of criticism on social media, as many questioned the structural safety, the lack of legal guarantees, and the suspicion that the State is merely shifting the cost of urban deterioration onto entrepreneurs.

The case of Rafael Freyre fits into this trend, as bars that once symbolized social life in Cuban towns and neighborhoods, now deteriorated and lacking stable services, could be revived through private efforts.

But, as the self-employed individuals themselves warn, enthusiasm collides with a wall of legal uncertainties, high investment risks, and the ever-present possibility that “the State might decide to kick you out and you lose your money,” as a user expressed when the bidding for the Malecón was announced.

A lifeline amid the state shipwreck

The government has acknowledged that internal trade cannot support itself with the centralized model. In 2022, Minister Betsy Díaz Velázquez admitted that the state network required a deep transformation and that the units with greater autonomy performed better.

Three years later, bidding has become a lifeline amid the economic shipwreck of the State. However, what may represent an entrepreneurial opportunity for some, reflects the precariousness of a system that survives by shifting its responsibilities onto the citizens.

In Rafael Freyre, the fate of bars like El Mango or Nueva Onda will now depend on the ability of residents and entrepreneurs to invest in establishments that the State has allowed to fall into ruin. The question is whether this formula will bring prosperity to the community or if it will be another temporary fix amid the country's structural crisis.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Bidding for State Bars in Cuba