Puerto Rican couple leads Central Florida’s food and business community
Orlando, FL — Dianne Santos and Hiram Turull, a dynamic Puerto Rican couple, have emerged as influential figures in the Central Florida food and business community. Their culinary enterprises have not only gained recognition but also made a significant mark on the local community, proudly representing Puerto Rico.
They have become an inspiration to many for their almost unstoppable way of expanding their businesses that they have run since 2017, with their first El Cilantrillo restaurant in Kissimmee and then two more locations: one in Semoran Boulevard, near the Orlando International Airport, and one close to The Florida Mall, with another coming in 2024.
Since then, they have not stopped expanding and embarked on the adventure of new business projects together such as Don Turull Cafe, Don Turull Cigars, Turull’s Boqueria Tapas Bar & Restaurant, Nona’s Urban Pizza, and their recent brand-new project Beaute Salon, in Orlando.
Their most recent addition, Nona’s Urban Pizza, opened this year with a $100,000 investment in the Lake Nona area.
Santos explained that they felt the desire to open a business in Lake Nona, dedicated to families, for it to be a concept of taking their children after school or sports practices, and for it to become that ideal place for families.
Lake Nona’s rapid growth and futuristic vision, highlighted by global companies and medical facilities, offered the perfect backdrop for their family-focused concept. It is one of the areas with the highest population growth — the fastest-growing city for entrepreneurs in the U.S., according to the LinkedIn State of Entrepreneurship Report 2021.
“We saw that Lake Nona was an area with many Latinos and we wanted to bring them this family concept that characterizes us through our restaurants. We know that pizza is the dish that everyone likes, and we wanted to open a pizzeria with an urban, colorful, fun concept,’ said Dianne Santos, they even have their mascot “Nono” and the tables have board games.
At Nona’s Urban Pizza, they offer a diverse menu that includes New York and Neapolitan pizza styles, as well as unique creations infused with Puerto Rican (Tripleta pizza), Dominican (Domi Pizza), and Venezuelan flavors (Chama Pizza), different pasta and desserts.
Meanwhile, El Cilantrillo specializes in Puerto Rican cuisine with generous family-style dishes. The couple’s commitment to their customers and a sense of nostalgia for Puerto Rican flavors have contributed to their restaurants’ success, attracting both locals and tourists in the Kissimmee area.
2nd El Cilantrillo location
A significant upcoming project includes the opening of another El Cilantrillo restaurant in Old Town Kissimmee, a well-known tourist area, where it will occupy a spacious 7,300-square-foot location. This new location aims to cater to an even larger audience, from families to sports teams and special events.
“It will be the largest in the area where we will serve 400 to 450 people inside and outside the premises,” said Santos.
This new business adventure was born after the requests of many clients who were looking for a larger place, “people asked us for more space, so we thought about that, and El Cilantrillo has become the ideal space for the family, basketball teams, official visits, special events,” she said.
Turull, 53, a businessman with a long history in banking in Puerto Rico and Florida, explained that this location will be in a tourist area of Kissimmee.
“The difference is that it is a tourist area, and it will be a combination for tourists and locals that will have the best of both worlds. We will have a stage with talents to have live entertainment, there will be a store with souvenirs from El Cilantrillo, Don Turull coffee, and cigars”, he said.
And the entrepreneur highlighted that the success of their restaurants is that they maintain the flavor of their traditional foods, create an atmosphere as if they were on the island, and that nostalgia that makes them feel as if for a moment, they are home again. This gastronomy is liked by tourists and foreigners who visit this area in Florida.
He represents Don Turull Cafe, 100% Puerto Rican coffee, and Don Turull Cigars, a passion he shares with friends and clients.
Santos is the heart of the business and always with a big smile for everybody, emphasizes that their decision-making is a collaborative effort with her husband, including their children, who are actively involved in their businesses. They have five children and five grandchildren.
Their latest business venture, Beaute Salon, is the product of Santos’ entrepreneurial spirit, which was inspired by her travels in Europe. The salon offers hair care services, body massages, and an exclusive clothing line for Hispanic women.
Collectively, their Central Florida businesses employ more than 187 people, reflecting the couple’s commitment to both business success and community impact.
The owners were recognized with the ‘El Josco Award’ as the 2023 Small Business of the Year.
As the holiday season approaches, and means it is a busy day for businesses, for this couple making time for their family is essential and non-negotiable, “we set up a date ahead of the holidays and we celebrate together,” said Santos.
