WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) — A new restaurant on 28th Street will serve Cuban pizzas and other popular Cuban dishes. It’s a dream come true for the owners, who until now have been operating from a food truck.

Montejo’s Cookhouse is set to open next month at 128 28th St. SW near Buchanan Avenue SW in Wyoming.

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Jazmin Montejo and her husband, who is Cuban, began their business as a food truck.

“Montejo’s Cookhouse started with a dream, small family business outside of our church,” she said.

The two spent about a year converting an old school bus into a dining area, which opened last summer.

“But we know the winter here in Michigan is very difficult for food trucks. And last year, last winter was very hard for us, so we closed most of the winter,” Montejo told News 8. “And we started thinking to find a place for all the customers and the people to enjoy our Cuban pizzas.”

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That led Montejo and her husband, in partnership with another couple, to the space on 28th Street. The building formerly housed Bosna Express, which closed its doors over the summer.

Turning the space into Montejo’s Cookhouse, Montejo said, is “like the dream is (be)coming reality.”

“I feel like we need more spaces like this to go with your husband, with your boyfriend, girlfriend, with your family to have a very good time,” she said. “We want always (people) to feel very comfortable and enjoy the time here.”

Jazmin Montejo, owner of Montejo's Cookhouse, smiles in front of the restaurant's logo. (Sept. 21, 2026)

Jazmin Montejo, owner of Montejo’s Cookhouse, smiles in front of the restaurant’s logo. (Sept. 21, 2026)

The star of the menu is Cuban pizza, which Montejo compared to a personal pizza.

“It took us like a month to get almost the same taste as Cuba, the Cuba pizzas. So the taste is different,” she explained. “And we put cheese around the pan, so we have this crispy cheese around. And the salsa is a little bit sweet.”

Popular toppings include onions, ham, pineapple and pepperoni. Since the restaurant has more space than the food truck, it will offer a wider selection of toppings, including al pastor.

“All the people say, like, when they try the Cuban pizza, they can’t eat a different one anymore,” Montejo told News 8.

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The new restaurant will also add more Cuban dishes to its menu.

“Like most of the popular Cuban dishes that they have in their country. So we want them to feel like they are at home,” Montejo said. “And for those who are not Cuban, we want them to know a little bit of the culture or their dishes, and they can taste everything. So we are putting our hearts and our everything in this … so they can taste everything as they are in Cuba.”

Montejo says Cuban food is “really good” and full of flavor, though it doesn’t have to be spicy. One dish that will be on the menu is ropa vieja, a shredded beef dish.

“It’s beef ribbon with onions … and we serve it with beans and rice and tostones,” she said. “We know all the Cubans can make those plates at home, but we want them to feel like they can go to a place so they can have somebody to serve them — and everybody, also. Like Mexicans, Americans and everybody are welcome here.”

To drink, the restaurant will serve batidos, or fruit-flavored shakes, in flavors like mango and guava. There will also be a kids’ menu with options like French fries and chicken tenders.

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The owners got access to the building about three months ago and have been working to transform the space. The restaurant is decorated with photos of Cuba, which were taken by a friend, and posters of famous Cuban singers.

“We want all the people who never been in Cuba (to) enter here and feel like they can see a little piece of Cuba in every wall,” Montejo said. “We want the Cubans also to come here and feel they are there.”

The plan is to host a grand opening with live Cuban music on Oct. 10. After that, the restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day except Tuesdays. Montejo told News 8 that she’s feeling “a lot of things at the same time.”

“I’m feeling excited,” she said. “Sometimes I feel like I want to cry because like when you have a dream and you have your family business … seeing something like this is a big step for us.”

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While the owners are currently focused on opening the restaurant, they have no plans to sell their food truck, according to Montejo. They’re looking for a place to park the truck so they can keep regular hours.

“We’re keeping it as our first dream that came true,” she said, adding that people love the atmosphere of the old school bus. “Seeing the kids excited to get into the bus and they can eat there or they can pretend they are driving, it’s very amazing for us.”

She hopes other people, too, will follow their dreams.

“Do it. Don’t be scared,” Montejo said. “People (are) going to be scared always — that never leaves — but if you never start, that’s going to stay as a dream.”

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Dining and Cooking