Daniella Senior On Building Colada Shop & Getting The Vibe Right In A Restaurant

On this episode of Digital Hospitality, Shawn Walchef sits down with Daniella Senior, CEO and founder of Colada Shop, to talk about Cuban hospitality, airport growth, music, storytelling, and what it takes to build a restaurant brand that people want to spend time in. Daniella shares how Colada Shop started in 2016 as a small Cuban cafe concept in Washington, D.C., originally intended to be the cover for a speakeasy. After opening day brought lines down the block, the team realized they had found something people were missing: coffee, food, cocktails, music, color, culture, and a true all-day third space rooted in Cuban hospitality. The conversation also covers Colada Shop’s airport location, which has become one of the busiest restaurants in its terminal, and the importance of choosing the right operating partner. Daniella explains why music is central to the Colada Shop experience, how Soundtrack helps the team curate different moods across different dayparts and locations, and why restaurants need to think beyond food and focus on how people feel inside the space. 00:00 Introduction 01:18 Meet Daniella Senior Of Colada Shop 02:20 Growing Through The Airport 05:21 The Opening Day Chaos 06:43 From Speakeasy Cover To Cuban Cafe 07:55 Colada Shop’s Five Pillars 08:28 Why Music Changes The Restaurant Experience 09:54 How Colada Shop Uses Soundtrack 12:47 Why Restaurants Should Prioritize Music 15:21 Digital Storytelling And Social Media 16:43 Colada Shop’s Next Ten Years 17:35 What Cuban Hospitality Means 20:29 Advice For Future Restaurant Owners 23:28 How To Connect With Daniella Episode links: https://www.coladashop.com/   / coladashop   https://www.instagram.com/daniellasen... https://soundtrack.io/