III 117th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 435 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 1, 2021 Mr. Scott of Florida (for himself and Mr. Rubio ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Honoring the 50th anniversary of Versailles, known as The World's Most Famous Cuban Restaurant .

Whereas Versailles, located in Miami, Florida, is known as The World's Most Famous Cuban Restaurant ; Whereas Versailles was originally founded in 1971 by Felipe Valls, Sr., a Cuban immigrant; Whereas, soon after opening its doors in 1971, Versailles became the gathering place for Cuban exiles located in Miami; Whereas Versailles has been a central spot for notable visitors from across the United States to show their support for the Cuban people; Whereas Versailles has been home to many peaceful protests, including large scale demonstrations like the one that occurred in July 2021 in support of the people of Cuba protesting the harshness of the current regime in that country; Whereas Versailles hosted seas of Cuban Americans celebrating the death of longtime dictator Fidel Castro in November 2016, which led more than 60 TV crews and other forms of media to come and witness a piece of Cuban and Cuban-American history; Whereas the mirrors in the main hall of Versailles, designed by Juan Pérez-Cruz, a decorator with a passion for French styles and uncle of singer Pitbull, appear to make the restaurant goers multiply; Whereas Versailles is described by many residents of Miami-Dade County as being a cultural hub for Cuban Americans and Miamians, which is evidenced by the fact that whenever a sports team in Miami wins a national title or accomplishes something extraordinary, there will be crowds of people outside of Versailles and on Calle Ocho, banging pots and pans together and chanting in celebration; Whereas Versailles is working with the History of Miami Museum and Exile Books to collect memories and stories from individuals in connection with the restaurant over the past 50 years in order to showcase the cultural significance of Versailles; Whereas the legacy of Felipe Valls, Sr., continues with the Valls Group, which has 2,000 employees and owns the 9 La Carretas in South Florida, MesaMar in Coral Gables, Casa Cuba in South Miami, and Casa Juancho, a longtime Spanish restaurant in Little Havana; Whereas the Valls family worked with the locally founded grocery store chain Sedano’s to employ over 400 Versailles staff members while Versailles and all of the La Carreta locations were closed in 2020 during the Coranavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19) pandemic; and Whereas the Valls family has participated in charitable work throughout the Miami community for many organizations, including the American Cancer Society and Amigos for Kids: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1) honors the 50th anniversary of Versailles, known as the The World's Most Famous Cuban Restaurant , as a moment to celebrate Cuban heritage and the innovation of the people of South Florida; (2) notes that the story of Versailles, being created by Cuban immigrants as a cultural hub for Cuban Americans and Miamians, is unique to the United States; and (3) commends Versailles for 50 years of operation and cultural contributions to Miami and the great State of Florida.