Ildefonso Ramirez
Ildefonso Ramirez (born c. 1922 in Cuba; died January 2024) was the owner of Kool Korner Sandwiches in Vestavia Hills.
Ramirez was a chemist in his native Cuba before defecting to the United States in 1972. He got a job at a friend's grocery store in South Florida, then, after moving to Atlanta, he and his wife, Lucia opened the first Kool Korner grocery store with sandwich counter near the Georgia Institute of Technology campus in 1985. Over time Ramirez stopped selling grocery items to focus on his hot-selling sandwiches.
When his landlord sold the restaurant building, Ramirez retired and moved to Birmingham to be closer to his son, Bill. Within a few months, however, he and Bill re-entered the sandwich business in the former Firehouse Subs spot in Vestavia Hills.
References
- Carlton, Bob (June 19, 2009) "Cuban sandwich shop comes to Vestavia Hills City Center". The Birmingham News
- Carlton, Bob (June 22, 2012) "Kool Korner Sandwiches in Vestavia Hills gets ready to celebrate 3rd anniversary." The Birmingham News
External links
- Kool Korner Sandwiches website