The owners of Soul de Cuba, a 2-year-old Cuban restaurant in downtown Honolulu, are seeking to expand the business into a chain through franchising.

The Honolulu restaurant at 1121 Bethel St. is actually one of two locations for Soul de Cuba, which was founded in New Haven, Conn., in 2005 by brothers Jesus and Robert Puerto, and restaurateur Yoon Kim.

Soul de Cuba, which features traditional Cuban and African food in an atmosphere with Afro-Cuban music and art, was assisted by franchise industry consultant Francorp in developing a franchise program.

The restaurant is offering franchises in Hawai'i, including O'ahu and the Neighbor Islands, as well as parts of the Northeast and West coasts of the Mainland, and Mexico.