Our Story
Four generations of the Garcia family — from a cigar-factory dream in Ybor City to your table in The Villages, Florida.
“City Fire American Grill was inspired by the ‘Greatest Generation’… honest, hard‑working men and women with a tireless commitment to building a better tomorrow.”
Gina Garcia Buell — Founder
A century of Garcia hospitality
Manuel Garcia Sr. emigrated from Spain in 1900, settling in Tampa’s Ybor City. At seventeen he worked in a cigar factory, then saved for five years to open a sandwich shop called “La Fonda” — launching the Garcia restaurant legacy.
During the 1920s, Manuel partnered with the owners of The Columbia Bar, creating the renowned Columbia Restaurant. In 1939 he sold his interest and, with his son Manuel Jr., purchased Las Novedades — a Spanish restaurant established in 1890, the oldest in Ybor City.
Four generations of fire
Las Novedades earned its place in history when Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders dined there — an evening locals still remember as the “Charge of the yellow rice brigade.”
Under Manuel Sr. and Jr., Las Novedades became the first restaurant in Florida to receive national awards for excellence. Four generations later, the Garcia family carries that heritage forward — through City Fire American Oven & Bar, here in The Villages.
Your table by the fireis waiting
Call your nearest Villages location and we’ll save you a table by the fire. We can’t wait to welcome you.