How does the setting of la Cocina de la Isla help develop Arturo?

La Cocina de la Isla is the Cuban restaurant in Canal Grove that is owned and operated by the Zamora family. Crucially, the restaurant is always closed on Sundays, which the large family preserves in order to have a private dinner together. The restaurant is always full of people, many of whom have established a personal relationship with Arturo's Abuela, who founded the restaurant. In the main conflict in the novel, the Zamoras fight against Wilfrido Pipo, who attempts to bulldoze the restaurant in order to establish a new real estate development.