by Jacynth Serrano Rodriguez
As we continue our Levi’s® Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, we turn our attention to Miami, a city where the heartbeats of Latine cultures converge. From the Cuban cafés lining Calle Ocho to the vibrant art of Wynwood’s Venezuelan community, Miami’s Latine legacy is a rich tapestry of stories, resilience, and pride. In Little Havana, three creative powerhouses are at the center of writing the next chapter of the city’s story — restauranteurs, power couple Lisetty Llampalla and Justin Sherrer, and Muralist Didi Contreras. The friends and collaborators share a passion for uplifting Miami’s Latin culture through honoring identity, community, and legacy, something that’s evident from the dishes on the menu and the music playing on the speakers at Lisetty and Justin’s well-beloved supper club, Social 27, and the art that covers its walls, crafted with love by Didi.
Read on to learn more about how identity, community, and Miami’s rich legacy have allowed them to honor the unique paths of their pasts in order to chart their destinies.
IDENTITY
Lisetty Llampalla and her husband, Justin Sherrer, met back in 2008 at a restaurant where she was working as a dishwasher and he as a cook. Justin hails from West Palm Beach while Lisetty immigrated to the United States from Cuba in 2008. Their shared desire to create something meaningful made them realize they needed creative freedom—and the only way to achieve that was by opening a place of their own. Lisetty’s optimism and fearlessness coupled with her determination led the couple to take the entrepreneurial leap and open their first restaurant, Doce Provisions in 2015, “I told him, I think it's time to open our place because we have so many ideas!”
When the two first opened Doce Provisions, their team was small—just the two of them. In those early days, Lisetty took and cooked orders herself. Since then, their business has grown beyond their wildest dreams. Lisetty and Justin recently ran into their very first customer, who fondly reminisced about times they spent at Doce Provisions. The fact that long-time customers still cherish those early memories brings them great joy and pride.
Lisetty and Justin chose to open their second restaurant in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood. Called Social 27, Lisetty describes the supper club as a fusion of modern cuisine and traditional Cuban meals: “Es una fusión de comida cubana y comida moderna, un twist” [“It’s a fusion of Cuban and modern food, with a twist!”]. The menu boasts delights that blend the flavors of Cuba and Miami in dishes like El Cubano, Chorizo Croquetas, Lechon Buns, Yuca Fries, and Maduros. Their sophomore restaurant is more quaint and intimate than Doce Provisions, with a more elevated and tropical vibe. Though the couple is immensely proud of what they’ve built with Social 27, they say that without Doce Provisions, there could be no Social 27.
COMMUNITY
Community is incredibly important to both Lisetty and Justin as they work hard to ensure their patrons are treated well when they come to visit. People come from all over to enjoy Lisetty and Justin’s fusion cuisine, “We have regulars from Atlanta, we have regulars from Chicago. They come down, and every time they come down, they come here”. Sometimes, guests even come back to Social 27 requesting dishes that are no longer on the menu.
Lisetty proudly brings elements of her Cuban identity to everything she does. She and Justin want each customer who comes through the doors of either restaurant to feel at home, and they believe the secret ingredient of their hospitality is that they do everything “con mucho amor.” In many ways, hospitality is a deeply held value in the Latin community, and Lisetty sees her heritage as a strength when it comes to making people feel welcome and cared for at her restaurants, with these principles being almost as important as the flavors on the plate, “You know, the intention, the love. The culture. I like that every dish has an element of Cuba in it. The community is too important. My roots are in every dish.”
One way Lisetty and Justin bridge both community and identity is through the vibrant and carefully crafted artwork found inside Social 27, created by Peruvian artist and friend Didi Contreras. As a Latin artist and longtime Miami resident deeply connected to her heritage, Didi uses her art to celebrate her roots, reflecting the same fusion of cultures Lisetty and Justin bring to their dishes and hospitality. Born in Chiclayo, Peru, and raised by her immigrant mother, Didi has always had a passion for art.
Didi’s work often features strong and confident women depicted in a larger-than-life way. Like Social 27’s cuisine, Didi’s style is a skillful blend of the local Miami vibe and her Peruvian roots, often incorporating popular cultural motifs like llamas and rainbows. Didi had plans to move to New York but sees the beauty in staying in Miami and being a part of the artistic boom that has been happening there over the past thirty years. “That twist of fate turned into a blessing. Being part of Miami's transformation and growth has been an exhilarating journey.”
She’s especially proud of organizing the Wall 2 Wall Women event in the Bird Road Art District in 2014. She sees herself as a role model, particularly to the children she teaches to speak, read, and write in Spanish. “Art is not just about creating something beautiful. It’s empowering the next generation.” As she has grown as an artist, woman, and mother, Didi has realized how invaluable community is and that, like all forms of love, community is something you tend to. “It’s something you nurture, invest in, and cultivate, only to receive its benefits back many times over.”
LEGACY
Together, Justin and Listetty have built not one but two beautiful hubs for connection in Miami—and they’re just getting started. Their restaurants have become cherished gathering places where patrons can count on having a delicious meal and enjoying delightful company and energy. Through their collaboration with Didi, the trio is actively creating a legacy that honors their Latindad heritage and invites guests of all backgrounds to partake in the richness of the culture.
When Didi thinks about legacy, she is quick to reflect on the sacrifices her mother made, who came to the United States in 1986. She knows her mother’s decision to leave her home country wasn’t easy, and she honors her mother’s strength and resilience daily. "I embrace the unknown, take risks, and do the things that scare me. I strive to leave that legacy to my children and the world. Teaching them that faith is greater than fear.”
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage this month and beyond by visiting Social 27 for a rich taste of delicious food. Be sure to check out Didi’s murals in the restaurant and around Miami’s art district