Bad Bunny brings Brooklyn icon Toñita to the Super Bowl stage

BROOKLYN - Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show bridged Puerto Rico and New York, weaving shared history, identity, and culture into a performance seen by millions.

What we know:

For many viewers, that connection came into focus during a brief but powerful moment when María Antonia Cay, better known as Toñita, appeared behind a bar, pouring Bad Bunny a shot.

The bar was not a set piece.

Why you should care:

It was a nod to Toñita’s Caribbean Social Club, the longtime Williamsburg institution that Cay has owned and operated for more than 50 years and one of New York City’s last remaining Puerto Rican social clubs.

The cameo carried particular meaning for Puerto Ricans in New York, where Toñita’s has long served as a gathering place, cultural anchor, and safe haven. 

Toñita's in Brooklyn

Dig deeper:

FOX 5 NY profiled the popular social club in 2024 for its 50th anniversary. 

There, the club’s walls could be seen lined with photos, Puerto Rican flags, and decades of community history.

"Every Puerto Rican throughout the diaspora and even in Puerto Rico has come here," Jacqueline Acosta told FOX 5 NY.

Who is Maria Antonia ‘Toñita’ Cay?

Cay, who is originally from Juncos, Puerto Rico, arrived in New York City in 1956 at just 16 years old.

Like many Puerto Ricans who migrated to the city after World War II, she came seeking work and opportunity. 

She initially worked as a babysitter in the Bronx before settling in Williamsburg’s south side in the 1960s, an area then known as Los Sures, a Puerto Rican enclave shaped by factory labor at places like the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Domino Sugar refinery.

She worked as a seamstress while building roots in the neighborhood. 

In 1974, Cay purchased the Grand Street building that now houses Toñita’s, modeling the space after Puerto Rico’s "Chinchorros" — makeshift bars where families and friends gather to eat, drink, and dance. 

50 years of Toñita

The club originally opened as a members-only space for a local baseball team before evolving into a broader community hub.

"She gives food away, she cooks every single day for these people, so they can have a warm plate of food," said her daughter, Silvia Rosado.

"This is not about money for Mami, it’s about a sense of community," Rosado added.

That philosophy has remained unchanged even as Williamsburg has undergone decades of gentrification. 

Gentrification

Cay has repeatedly turned down offers worth millions of dollars to sell the property. 

Supporters have rallied around the club, arguing it represents a broader fight to preserve Puerto Rican and Nuyorican culture in New York City. 

The club’s cultural significance has also drawn international attention. 

Over the years, it has welcomed artists including Bad Bunny, Maluma, and Madonna, and served as the backdrop for a Rolling Stone photo shoot.

For many watching the Super Bowl, seeing Toñita behind that bar wasn’t just a cameo. 

It was a reminder that Toñita’s Caribbean Social Club is more than a bar — it’s a living piece of Puerto Rican and Brooklyn history, briefly brought to the world’s biggest stage.

Big picture view:

Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, recently won album of the year at the 2026 Grammy Awards for Debí Tirar Más Fotos, becoming the first Spanish-language album to take home the top prize. 

"What I’m feeling goes beyond myself," Bad Bunny said in a previous statement. "It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture, and our history."