Cuban Abuela Is Secret Ingredient Behind Miami’s Favorite Cookie

For years, customers have lined up at Night Owl Cookies for warm cookies and inventive flavors. What many did not realize until a recent Instagram Reel went viral is that, behind the scenes, a beloved Cuban abuela has been part of the operation from the very beginning.

Her name is Olga Vega, and she has been working in the kitchen at Night Owl’s FIU location since it first opened nearly a decade ago. Long before the brand expanded across South Florida, Vega was already there, helping build the foundation of what would become one of Miami’s most recognizable cookie shops.

“I started making the dough,” Vega says. “When I had time, I would help shape the cookies. Then I started doing the cream cheese, the fillings, a little bit of everything.”

Before the Storefronts, There Was Family

From the start, Night Owl was a family operation. Before there were multiple storefronts, the cookies were made at home. Butter was softened by hand. Dough was mixed in the kitchen. Everyone pitched in.

“We started from the house,” Vega says. “Everything was done as a family.”

That family effort helped launch the business founded by Vega’s grandson, Andrew Gonzalez, who would later be recognized on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list. As Night Owl grew, Vega remained a constant presence at the FIU store, which was the brand’s first location and remains one of its busiest.

She Was There at the Beginning and Never Left

Gonzalez admits he has tried to convince her to slow down.

“I tell her all the time to stay home and rest,” he says. “But she loves being there.”

Vega agrees. “I have always liked to work,” she says. “At home, you do nothing. Here, there is always something to do.”

On any given day, she might be preparing mixes or making the creams used to decorate the cookies. She does it despite knee pain, she says, because the work keeps her active and engaged.

“That keeps you young,” she adds.

Cuban Comfort, Baked Into Every Batch

Over the years, regulars at the FIU location have come to recognize her. Customers greet her in the kitchen. Some have been coming since the early days, long enough that Gonzalez says he now sees familiar faces returning with their own children.

“She is always there,” Gonzalez says. “And people notice. Customers recognize her, they say hello, they know who she is.”

Beyond her presence, Vega’s influence also shows up in the cookies themselves. Cuban flavors and memories are incorporated into the menu. The Ave María cookie, made with guava, cream cheese, and Maria cookies, draws directly from classic Cuban combinations. The cafecito cookie pays homage to the Cuban coffee that was always a part of daily life growing up.

“There is nothing like my grandmother’s cooking,” Gonzalez says. “There are so many restaurants in Miami, but nothing compares to her food.”

Working Side by Side With Abuela

For Gonzalez, having his grandmother in the kitchen during the busiest season of the year is grounding.

“When I walk into the kitchen and see her there, it reminds me how lucky I am,” he says. “A lot of people wish they could still see their abuela every day. I get to work with mine.”

For Vega, the feeling is mutual. “It is a privilege,” she says. “I am very proud of my grandchildren.”

Night Owl Cookies. Multiple area locations, including 163 NW 25th St., Miami; 786-953-6076; nightowlcookieco.com.