The Story of Figueiral Restaurant

Co-owner and manager of Figueiral Restaurant, Ivan Gomes told The Portugal News that initially the Figueiral was a project by his father, grandmother and aunt. Then his mother, Dona Cláudia joined in 1988 from Brazil and that was when his parents decided to go into business together which they did successfully until 2015. “Sadly, my father passed away and I took over the business with my mother.”

Ivan then explained his role in the company “I have always taken the reins of the operational side of the restaurant, especially taking charge of dinner service.”

Adding that “I am very much involved in creating the identity that I wish the restaurant to have. In this respect, I have made some alterations since joining on the level of investments that have needed to be made”.

Ivan spoke warmly about his parents “All these years they have been able to do something brilliant which is to maintain the family tradition in our service despite the quality of our product being above average.”

“Honestly, my father was always an excellent professional and it is thanks to him that most of what we serve to the public was created by him. He was the person with the vision for the future and my mother was the one who kept all those strategies in place throughout all those years.”

Ivan described his mother, Dona Cláudia, as being a “strong pillar in the company and that Figueiral’s success for so many years is down to her dedication. If anything was needed whether that be in regards to the dining experience, to the staff, she would resolve it but she also focused on the financial side of the company which since I have joined has been her main role.”

The Key to Success

When asked about working with family, Ivan told The Portugal News that “We are always mother and son but we are also business partners and we always work beautifully together but I feel that it is because of the connection I have with my mother and the respect I have for her decisions. Without her we wouldn’t have got where we are today and having her by my side has resulted in the success we have had.”

When we spoke about the key to success, Ivan, revealed that “the factor that really distinguishes us from our competitors has really to do with our family atmosphere and relaxed service and moreover the intimate relationship we have with our clients, it is like we are inviting them to our home and having them enjoy our cuisine with us.”

The Best Picanha in the Algarve!

Figueiral Restaurant’s international cuisine menu has something for everyone, with Ivan affirming that their strength is in “their variety of premium meats” and that they have a strong tie to the renowned Brazilian dish, Picanha, which they have made their house special. Figueiral focuses on excellent regional products and boasts glowing reviews when it comes to their rodizio of Picanha, having established themselves as the best restaurant for picanha in the Algarve.

For reservations, please contact +351 289395558, info@figueiral.pt or visit www.figueiral.pt

Author

Following undertaking her university degree in English with American Literature in the UK, Cristina da Costa Brookes moved back to Portugal to pursue a career in Journalism, where she has worked at The Portugal News for 3 years. Cristina’s passion lies with Arts & Culture as well as sharing all important community-related news.

Cristina da Costa Brookes