Latin-themed restaurant owners pick Naples for next hot spot

A new restaurant, Unidos: A Latin Kitchen + Bar, has opened in downtown Naples, in the Naples Design District. It replaces the former Starbucks and Valento’s Pizza & Hoagies that previously occupied that corner of U.S. 41 and Central Avenue. 

Unidos is serving dinner daily from 4-10 p.m., with plans to expand hours and service, add a lunch menu, introduce a weekend brunch and launch takeout later this month, according to a statement. The company behind the restaurant, All 4 One Hospitality, was founded by Sal Muñoz, Jaime Muñoz and Carlos Angel. The company also operates Unidad, another Latin-themed restaurant, in Evergreen Park, Illinois, a southwest Chicago suburb.  

Sal Muñoz, with 25 years in hospitality, says the new Naples location is part of his family’s long-term growth strategy. In one previous gig, he was a banquet captain and floor manager at Sepia, a Chicago West Loop restaurant. He was also a server and magician's assistant at Caesars Magical Empire at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. 

“Unidos means united in Spanish. Our restaurant is a testament to the global nature of food and the endless possibilities that arise when different culinary traditions come together,” Sal Muñoz says in the release. “Our food is definitely inspired by some of my mother’s dishes. It means a lot to me having some of her dishes on the menu.” 

“We are not just focused on one cuisine,” he adds. “I grew up eating dishes from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Peru and Argentina.”

“We are excited to introduce Naples to a culinary style that combines the elements of Latin American cuisine with other global flavors and cooking techniques," says Jaime Muñoz in the statement. “We can't wait to share this experience with the community.”

Occupying 3,200 square feet with both indoor and outdoor dining, including a walk-up outdoor service window, the new restaurant design is a collaboration between the owners and Naples architectural design firm BDL Design, led by architect Brian Leaders. The 152-seat interior dining room, the release states, “features an open kitchen concept that delivers great views into the preparation of the food and drinks.”