Café da Praça
Located in the surroundings of the Municipal Library and Gallery of Matosinhos, Café da Praça brought new life to the center of our city. With an informal and casual menu, it allows us to enjoy a gastronomic experience where the attraction is the quality of the raw material, always first-rate and the passion with which we are served. It is an awakening of sensations that make this space a reference place, current, simple and unpretentious.” Open every day from 12:00 to 00:00, except on weekends (Friday and Saturday), when it will be open until 1:00 am and will only open at 12:30 pm. Notícias Matosinhos: How and when did Café da Praça appear? Miguel Santos: Café da Praça appears in 2014, at the time I was facing an unemployment situation that had been dragging on for some time and creating a solution to give a different direction to my life and my family was not a whim, it was a necessity! The desire to build my own business was old, but until then it had not been realized. Perhaps because, until then, I had not had the right opportunity or the courage and “baggage” necessary to face the difficulties of entrepreneurship. I believe that the birth of my daughter was the turning point in my life and brought me the maturity and strength that I hadn't had until now. My company currently employs around 10 people. It won't be a big deal, but I'm very proud of it. I believe that everything has its time, that nothing is by chance, that the path to success is a long, often steep road and that in life it is important to set goals and fight hard to achieve them, because nothing falls from the sky, other than rain.
NM: What were the main adversities you encountered when opening your own space? MS: There are several adversities in the life of an entrepreneur, however I believe that fear and initial insecurity, along with the pressure generated by the weight of responsibilities are always the worst enemies for the success of any project. Fortunately I managed to overcome these barriers and today I deal with them well. The secret is to never give up and have the right people by your side. My wife's support and the fact that she came to work with me was very important. She is a real pillar for me and for the project, she is tireless. All the experiences, good or bad, that business life brought me, made me what I am today. It's all part of a process of personal and professional growth. I'm grateful for that. NM: What are the main challenges in managing a space like “Café da Praça”? MS: There are several, in fact every day is a challenge, this branch demands a lot from us, both physically and mentally. The human resource management part is perhaps the most difficult part of any company. A large part of the people who work in restoration today are looking for this branch on a temporary basis, they do not have a great capacity for resilience nor do they give time to time and do not want or do not realize that they can grow within a structure and make it a living, as I did. . However, in our case we have a wonderful team and at its base people who really make a living from this and we are always managing to overcome this type of difficulties. Work wins all!
NM: When you dreamed of opening your own space, did you idealize “Café da Praça” as it is today? MS: Well, I consider myself a collector of ideas and a bit of a dreamer since always, so I had many, but I admit that Café da Praça, within the concept, exceeded all my expectations. The idea here was to create a cozy and familiar environment within a cosmopolitan and casual space. We wanted a recurring restaurant and not sporadic. And we did. We have several customers who have lunch or dinner here more than once a week. It's gratifying. NM: Three words that characterize the space “Café da Praça” MS: Versatility, quality and simplicity. NM: What is the dish or drink that no one can miss at Café da Praça? MS: Fortunately all the dishes on our menu work really well, however on a personal level I have always liked the Papa Figos hamburger for the happy boldness in the mix of ingredients, I also really like our francesinha in bolo do caco, Bib'o Porto and for the days when you need to be more fit, our vegetarian pasta, “Guilhermina”, for its simplicity and taste. In terms of drinks, our Sangria de Espumante is wonderful, the Gins and Mojitos are also great and always taste good, especially now in the summer when the heat is on. NM: Finally, plans/goals for the future? MS: I would say that at a professional level, it will go a long way towards maintaining and reinforcing the quality standards that identify our project and, if possible, continue to grow, always with due consideration and balance. On a personal level, the plan is to try to never lose the drive and passion that drives me and to be able to continue to live life in a happy and fulfilled way.
Author: NM Matosinhos
Diogo