The family behind Café Victor, a mainstay of the theater district.

Monica Zaldivar is filled with gratitude for the legacy left by her grandparents and strives to honor them at her restaurant, Victor’s Cafe, by working with its staff and customers.

“I love being hospitable and making my employees feel like they’ve learned something and they’re grateful because I try to instill gratitude in them,” she said when asked about her favorite part of running a Cuban restaurant that’s over 60 years old. years.

“I feel like it needs to be preserved because so much history has happened here.”

In 1963, Zaldivar’s grandparents, Victor Del Corral and Eloina Ruiz de Ugarrio, originally opened Victor’s on the Upper West Side, at 71st Street and Columbus Avenue, where customers included John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

The Cuban immigrants and their daughter Sonia, Zaldivar’s mother, lived across the street in the apartment the restaurant’s 40-year-old current owner still calls home.

In 1980, they moved the restaurant to its current location, on 52nd Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue, and Zaldivar, a Fordham University graduate who practiced law in Florida before returning in 2011, became the first to arrive. 225th Avenue. – Dining room every morning.

Tell us about how your grandfather started.

My grandfather, with a 3rd grade education, came to New York in 1957. He was a busboy, did all this before he brought my mother and grandmother here. He only had one child, my mother. And he just worked a bunch of odd jobs until he made some money to open a store on 71st Street.

What do you remember about growing up in the restaurant business?

I remember being afraid to go into the kitchen because there was an employee who was always telling me that he was going to put me in the dishwasher. (Laughs)

Who helps you in the restaurant?

My mom is still in Florida, so far away.

What are the best-selling items on your menu?

Ropa Vieja and Vaca Frita, of course. The meat is the same, just cooked differently. I prefer waka frita.

What’s your favorite food and cocktail on the menu?

The salmon ceviche is my favorite; This is the one I recommend to everyone. And sangria with champagne. It will knock you out. I won’t drink this anymore. (Laughs)

Who are your famous clients?

Pit bull comes here often. He is the most humble person; he likes to sit at the bar. My chef makes soup for him, which he loves. He has his whole group here and he treats them all. Jennifer Lopez comes here often. She loves our chicken. Gloria Estefan, Billy Murray, Mike Tyson, Roberto Duran. Barbara Walters, she was one of my favorites. Bill Cosby would come in all the time and pretend to be the host, and this was at the height of The Cosby Show. So imagine people coming in and he asks, “Do you have a reservation?”

How many employees do you have?

Before COVID it was 100, now I’m 40.

Where did you find your chef?

He started out as a dishwasher and he’s an amazing person. His stepdaughter also works here. I tell my employees, “I have a vision to emulate my grandparents who taught me good manners and good values, and I’m going to instill that in you guys.”

What does a typical day look like for you?

I wake up at 5 o’clock every morning. I go to Pilates every day. I come here around 9 or 10 because I like to set the mood. I’m here every day, but not at night.

Do you read customer reviews?

I do. A lot, even too much, perhaps. I’m all for constructive criticism. Some reviewers need therapy. (Laughs)

To learn more, visit www.victorscafe.com.