The Nieves family, owners of a new Cuban food takeout restaurant, wants to introduce non-Cubans to not only their native country’s cuisine, but its history and culture.

General Manager Lourdes Nieves, whose parents own Havana Slice Pizzeria LLC, chatted with a steady flow of customers in her family’s restaurant that opened Dec. 14.

“Port Charlotte is getting filled with Cubans,” she said of the local population.

“It is crazy,” Nieves said, as worker Vayani Telles quickly took orders from the crowd queuing up at the counter.

For those not familiar with Cuban pizza, it has a taste all its own.

It’s tomato base has a savory taste, delicately seasoned, a four-cheese blend, and the crust is light and flaky.

There are many varieties of Cuban pizza, with combinations many have probably never tasted.

The pepperoni pizza comes with a choice of hot honey, the veggie pizza comes topped with onions, green peppers, mushrooms, olives and is flavored Cuban style. Other toppings include meats, shrimp and bacon bits.

Havana Slice has other menu items, including Cuban sandwiches, smoothies and spaghetti entrees with ham, chorizo, ground hot dog, shrimp or bacon.

There also are desserts, including a red velvet confection with cream, blueberries and raspberries.

Nieves’ father, Alex Nieves, owned a small pizzeria in Cuba. The family is from Holguin on the eastern side of the country.

The family chose the name Havana Slice “because the name Havana represents Cuba,” she said.

Pizza is more of a street food in Cuba. There aren’t Cuban pizzerias all over Cuba like Italian pizzerias throughout the U.S.

Growing somber, Nieves said food is scarce in Cuba, and if it weren’t for her maternal grandmother Lourdes Quinones who came to the U.S. several decades ago and sent them provisions, the family would have gone hungry.

Lourdes Nieves came to the U.S. with her parents when she was a child.

Under a family reunification act allowed at the time, her grandmother brought her father, mother and other family members, who now total 30, to the U.S.

Upon arriving in the U.S., Nieves said she was “in shock” at the abundance of food.

“We barely had food, there were blackouts all the time, and the power was out for days,” she said.

Even if the Nieves had a refrigerator full of food, it would have gone bad.

“There were so many foods here. I didn’t want to eat anything because just looking at food made me feel full,” Nieves said.

The family hasn’t forgotten what Nieves called their “humble roots” and rich culture, depicted on Havana Slices’ walls.

Pointing to a portrait, Nieves shared José Martí’s story.

Born in 1853, the Cuban nationalist, poet, philosopher, professor and internationally acclaimed writer is considered a national hero because of his role in liberating Cuba from Spain.

“That’s Celia Cruz,” Nieves said, pointing to a framed photograph of the Cuban singer who was one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century who emigrated and died in New Jersey.

Another framed photo depicts a group of people on a raft.

“That’s how most came to the U.S.,” she said.

Nieves said Havana in the 1950s was on its way “to becoming the Las Vegas of the Caribbean,” but then things changed.

A rendering of Havana and its iconic classic cars is prominently displayed on one wall.

“Cuba is now frozen in time,” Nieves said.

But the Nieves family is moving forward and realizing the American dream.

Located at 3769 Tamiami Trail, Unit B, on the access road south of Conway Boulevard, Havana Slice is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day except Sunday when it closes at 6 p.m.