As the year comes to a close, we're thrilled to share a special edition of My Portugal, featuring none other than our founder, Fernando Benevides. In this month's newsletter, we reflect on the humble beginnings of Portugalia Marketplace—from Portugal to Fall River—and the dedication it took to grow into what it is today, a journey made possible thanks to your incredible support!

Portugalia Marketplace: Can you share a bit about your early life in Portugal? Where did you grow up, and what are some of the memories that have stayed with you? What prompted your move to the United States?

Fernando Benevides: My name is Fernando Benevides. I’m 70 years old and have owned and operated Portugalia Marketplace since 1988. I was born and raised in Candelária, São Miguel, Azores.

 

During my childhood, I attended school from ages 7 through 11. After leaving school, I worked alongside my father on our family farm, raising cows. When I was fifteen, my father sold the farm, and I began working at a local bakery. I stayed there until I was mandated to serve in the army.

 

During my time in the army, I became the coffee bar manager, and it was there that my love for business began. After two years of service, I married my wife, Maria and started working at the University of the Azores as an assistant and driver for the Ecology Laboratory.

 

During this period, my son Michael was born. Then, just before Michael turned two, in October of 1979, we emigrated to the United States to join my wife’s family.

 

PM: When your family immigrated to the U.S., what inspired you to maintain such a strong connection to Portuguese culture, and how did those first years in Fall River influence your dream of opening Portugalia Marketplace?

 

FB: When I arrived in the United States, I immediately fell in love with the country and the opportunities it offered. I realized I hadn’t moved here to spend my life working in a factory. Determined to build something of my own, I decided to start a business and immediately thought of importing Portuguese coffee. While there were already local Portuguese markets, my vision was to focus on a wholesale bulk operation.

 

During this transitional period, I worked as a carpenter and in a textile factory, taking on every overtime shift I could to save money for a house. It was during this time that my daughter Jennifer was born. In 1985, I achieved my goal and purchased my first home—a house with a three-car garage. I immediately saw the potential to turn those garages into the foundation of my business.

 

In 1988, while still working the third shift at the textile factory, I officially launched Portugalia Imports from my garage. I started by importing coffee, and soon expanded to include octopus, olives, and other products.

 

PM: Portugalia Marketplace started as a small operation out of your garage. Can you tell us about those early days of selling Portuguese goods and how the community’s support helped you grow into what you are today?

 

FB: The community showed immediate support for the business, and I quickly built a strong customer base. I also visited local stores and restaurants, adding them to my growing list of wholesale clients. Word spread as my customers shared their experiences with family and friends, and the support grew tremendously.

 

I would run the business during the morning hours and then work the second shift at the textile factory. By 1991, we had outgrown our space, and I made the decision to leave the textile factory to focus on the business full-time. To accommodate our growth, I purchased an old soda factory, and in 1993, we relocated and expanded the business there.

PM: Over the years, Portugalia Marketplace has become more than just a store; it is a cultural hub for Portuguese Americans. What has it meant to you to create a space that connects people to their heritage, especially for those far removed from Portugal?

 

FB: I have always valued my culture and heritage and knew that Portuguese people deeply cherish their traditions. I wanted to help customers stay connected to their roots. What started as a small operation in my garage expanded to a warehouse, and finally, to our current marketplace. When we acquired the larger marketplace in 2013, I realized we could offer even more cultural experiences to our customers. This led me to create immersive events and displays in the market, like the yearly nativity scene.

Every holiday season, Portugalia Marketplace showcases a stunning hand-built Nativity scene designed by Azorean artist, Guco. The instillation blends biblical scenes with cherished Azorean traditions like the Holy Ghost folia, Santo Christo Procession, and Romeiros.

PM: The holiday season is a special time for many families. Are there any Portuguese traditions or recipes that hold sentimental value for you and your family, and how do you celebrate them through the Marketplace?

FB: As a family, we always have the traditional Portuguese Christmas Eve dinner of boiled cod, lots of snacks (figs, pumpkin seeds, cheese, meats) and, of course, good wine and liquors. I have incorporated all these things as items that I sell in my store for other families to enjoy with their loved ones.

 

PM: As you reflect on the journey from a small family business to a 20,000-square-foot marketplace, what hopes do you have for the future of Portugalia Marketplace and its role in promoting Portuguese culture across the United States?

 

FB: My hopes for the future are to expand our online sector of the marketplace as well as attain more warehouse space for the expansion of the company as a whole.