Rey and Sara Navarro started producing the famous Lila’s Flan in 1989 in the back closet of the Famous Lila’s Restaurant (a south Miami staple founded in 1964). Lila’s Restaurant, owned by Rey’s father, Reinaldo Navarro, was famous for two things: their massive palomilla steak covered by a mountain of fries and their extra creamy, delicious caramel flan. As the years went on, special orders of the Lila’s flan for birthdays and holidays began taking over the restaurant kitchen. In the madness of that restaurant kitchen, a lightbulb went off in Rey’s head, let’s make this a dessert company. Right then and there, Lila’s Desserts was born.
Reinaldo and Ada at Lila’s Restaurant holding up a plate of the Famous Lila’s steak and Fries. (1999)
From the days when Rey and Sara started Lila’s Desserts Inc. in 1989, working 16 hr. shifts filling flans by hand and cooking single trays at a time in the spare oven out back, to now, producing over 60,000 desserts a week for all the major supermarkets in South Florida. The Lila’s brand and the Lila’s flan has maintained its beloved, “secret family” recipe and its outstanding quality. All of Lila’s classic latin desserts truly capture the taste of “HOMEMADE”. When you buy a Lila’s product off your local supermarket shelf, you can be confident that you are taking home a dessert that is made with the same love, taste, and quality as your ABUELA back home.
Rey and Sara holding up a Lila’s Tres Leches Cake. (2003
Today, Lila’s classic latin dessert line includes a variety of flans, cakes, puddings, and custards. You can find all of our products at your nearest South Florida supermarket or restaurant. You can also special order desserts for any birthday party or holiday just like the people did back when the company was born.
