Cesar Gonzmart
Encyclopedia
César Gonzmart was a concert violinist and entertainer, Spanish "nobleman" and energetic chairman of the $42 million Columbia Restaurant
Group (1991).
and named by his mother for the legendary Roman emperor, Julius Caesar
. (César is the Spanish spelling of Caesar.) At the age of three, he accompanied his mother, aunt and grandmother on a cruise to Cuba
. Having been impressed by shipboard violinist, he started lessons at age six. A successful student, musically and otherwise, he went to Stetson University
on scholarship after only 2½ years at Hillsborough High School. In 1935 at age 15, César earned $20 a week substituting in the Columbia Restaurant's band, a job he held for three months before leaving for Deland to attend college.
, earning a doctorate in music, and stood as the Havana Symphony Orchestra's concertmaster at age 21. He married and fathered a son, César Gonzalez, Jr., who would eventually join the United States Department of State
as a career diplomat. That son had no connection to the family restaurant business.
After performing as a concert violinist in the United States and Cuba, César also found lucrative success performing popular music with his touring orchestra, César Gonzalez and his Magic Violins.
.
After the wedding, César and Adela Gonzmart toured together until César was convinced to work instead at the Columbia. Though it was a considerable financial loss, César complied to provide stability to the couple's son, Casey. The following year, their second son Richard was born. Although he traded his career as a musician for one as a restaurateur, César Gonzmart regularly serenaded his guests.
César learned the business quickly, and he and Adela began to have input in the decisions of the Columbia. In 1956, they convinced Adela's father, Casmiro, to build another large room, the Siboney
dining room, named after a town in Cuba where American forces landed in the Spanish-American War
(also the name of a song by a Cuban composer).
, St. Augustine
, Celebration
, St. Petersburg
and Clearwater Beach. Gonzmart also oversaw the launch of tropical-themed Cha-Cha Coconuts, a casual-themed bar & restaurant in 1988, now four units strong. In addition, the Columbia group operates a commissary called Columbia Food Service Inc. The year Gonzmart left the music business, the Columbia grossed $1 million. In 1991, just before his death, the chain earned $42 million.. Gonzmart never stopped being the entertainer. Until illness prevented it, he performed regularly at the Ybor City Restaurant where music has always been key to the dining experience.
Columbia Restaurant
The original Columbia Restaurant, located in the historic Ybor City neighborhood in Tampa, Florida, is the oldest Spanish restaurant in the United States and one of the largest in the world...
Group (1991).
Early years
Gonzmart was born César Gonzales in Tampa, FloridaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
and named by his mother for the legendary Roman emperor, Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
. (César is the Spanish spelling of Caesar.) At the age of three, he accompanied his mother, aunt and grandmother on a cruise to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. Having been impressed by shipboard violinist, he started lessons at age six. A successful student, musically and otherwise, he went to Stetson University
Stetson University
Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I-4 corridor in Central Florida. The primary undergraduate campus is located in DeLand, Florida, USA. In the 2012 U.S...
on scholarship after only 2½ years at Hillsborough High School. In 1935 at age 15, César earned $20 a week substituting in the Columbia Restaurant's band, a job he held for three months before leaving for Deland to attend college.
Musical success
When César was 18, he was a symphonic violin soloist. He attended the University of HavanaUniversity of Havana
The University of Havana or UH is a university located in the Vedado district of Havana, Cuba. Founded in 1728, the University of Havana is the oldest university in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas...
, earning a doctorate in music, and stood as the Havana Symphony Orchestra's concertmaster at age 21. He married and fathered a son, César Gonzalez, Jr., who would eventually join the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
as a career diplomat. That son had no connection to the family restaurant business.
After performing as a concert violinist in the United States and Cuba, César also found lucrative success performing popular music with his touring orchestra, César Gonzalez and his Magic Violins.
Name change
At that point in his life, César Gonzalez changed his name to Gonzmart, drawn both from his father's surname of Gonzales and his mother's of Martinez. He later explained that he had wanted to establish his own identity.Second marriage
César married Adela Hernandez, the granddaughter of Columbia founder Casimiro Hernandez Sr. in 1946. Adela, a Juilliard School of Music graduate, was an accomplished touring pianist. Notably, Adela had played at Carnegie HallCarnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
.
After the wedding, César and Adela Gonzmart toured together until César was convinced to work instead at the Columbia. Though it was a considerable financial loss, César complied to provide stability to the couple's son, Casey. The following year, their second son Richard was born. Although he traded his career as a musician for one as a restaurateur, César Gonzmart regularly serenaded his guests.
César learned the business quickly, and he and Adela began to have input in the decisions of the Columbia. In 1956, they convinced Adela's father, Casmiro, to build another large room, the Siboney
Siboney, Cuba
Siboney is a town in Cuba east of the city of Santiago de Cuba. In 1898 Siboney and the nearby village of Daiquirí were locations where American forces came ashore in the Spanish-American War...
dining room, named after a town in Cuba where American forces landed in the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
(also the name of a song by a Cuban composer).
Career
For the rest of his life, Gonzmart focused on managing and expanding the Spanish-themed Columbia group - opening high-volume dinner houses in SarasotaSarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
, St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
, Celebration
Celebration, Florida
Celebration is a census-designated place and a master-planned community in Osceola County, Florida, United States, located near Walt Disney World Resort and originally developed by The Walt Disney Company...
, St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
and Clearwater Beach. Gonzmart also oversaw the launch of tropical-themed Cha-Cha Coconuts, a casual-themed bar & restaurant in 1988, now four units strong. In addition, the Columbia group operates a commissary called Columbia Food Service Inc. The year Gonzmart left the music business, the Columbia grossed $1 million. In 1991, just before his death, the chain earned $42 million.. Gonzmart never stopped being the entertainer. Until illness prevented it, he performed regularly at the Ybor City Restaurant where music has always been key to the dining experience.
Honors
- 1971 Knighted by the King of Spain as a Knight of Sant’Yago, the patron saint of Spain
- 1972 Gonzmart founded the Krewe of the Knights of Sant’Yago in Tampa.
- 1974 served as second king of the Knights of Sant’Yago
- 1990 inducted into the Nation's Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame
- 1991 Tony Pizzo Award for Preservation of Tampa’s Latin Heritage from the Ybor City Museum Society
- 1992 Hispanic Man of the Year from Tampa Hispanic Heritage
- 1993 State of Florida Resolution citing his lifetime accomplishments to the community and as a Florida businessman
- 1993 inducted into Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame
- 1995 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Florida Restaurant Association.
- 2000 Designated a Great FloridianGreat FloridiansGreat Floridian is a title bestowed upon citizens in the state of Florida by the Florida Department of State. There were actually two formal programs...
by the Florida Department of State in the Great Floridians 2000 Program - 2005 Stetson University Distinguished Alumni Award