Lisbon, June 9, 2025 (Lusa) - Cervejaria Portugália celebrates its 100th anniversary on 10 June, a century in which it has sold more than two million steaks a year, after weathering the “mad cow” crisis and the pandemic, and now with a revamped image.
"We've had many moments here," said José Carvalho Martins, general manager of the Portugália Restauração Group, when asked by Lusa about the most challenging periods for the well-known brewery that began in Almirante Reis, Lisbon.
"We had moments when we grew from one shop in Almirante Reis to begin our expansion around [19]99," then "we had the “mad cow” crisis, we had the crisis in 2008, [200]9, [20]12" and more recently Covid-19, "which was a very difficult time when we had to interrupt our activity and that, obviously, is everything we don't want, it's everything our customers don't want," he told Lusa.
Despite it being a "very complicated time", the truth "is that we have always looked at all these challenges with resilience and courage, and that is what has defined us and what has also kept us going and enabled us to reach 100 years and look forward to another 100", asserts José Carvalho Martins.
When asked about the formula for a brewery business to endure, given the many changes in consumer habits, he concluded: "It's very simple: serve well, make good food and entertain customers."
This is because "we try to stay true to this and not complicate things. The truth is that there are many trends and, recently, there has been a surge of trends and changes in the sector," he continued.
But the group has tried to stay true to these principles: "I think that's also a point, not always changing and not always doing what everyone else is trying to adapt to, and the truth is that we have remained faithful with some innovation here and there."
As for the customer profile, the company believes that it has changed, that "it is no longer just the Portuguese who have known Portugália for decades." There are "more and more tourists looking for an authentic and true Portuguese experience", he reports.
On the day Lusa visited the Portugália brewery on Almirante Reis, it was clear that before the doors opened, people were already queuing to get in, and a variety of customers from different ages and nationalities were present.
"Yes, [we have younger customers], one of the objectives of the “rebrand” [image renewal] was also to bring us closer to younger people, and we have seen more and more young faces without necessarily seeing fewer of the more familiar faces we already know," says the manager.
The Portugália brewery on Almirante Reis is an icon both for the group and for the history of Lisbon itself.
The space served as the stage for "Canção de Lisboa" (Song of Lisbon), starring Vasco Santana, a classic of Portuguese cinema.
"It was filmed up there on our terrace, when it was still a terrace, nowadays we don't use it so much," he recalls, adding that "more recently it won the distinction of Shop with History".
Although "we have changed a few things here in the architecture of the [Almirante Reis] shop, we have kept many of the more historical elements that earned us this recognition," he explained.
With the rebranding, the Almirante Reis store also has new tiles, maintaining the tradition of its connection to Viúva Lamego.
"The new ones are also Viúva Lamego," points out José Carvalho Martins, noting that they were designed "by a contemporary artist named Aka Corleone," who created a party scene with various characters.
"We have Amália here, we have Fernando Pessoa, we have Gordo there, who is the Gordo that is there in our stained glass window, who has been with us since the beginning, and yes, the tiles were painted at Viúva Lamento, which is also a long-standing partner of ours," he emphasises.
Currently, Portugália is selling two million steaks a year, he says.
To this can be added "more or less two million eggs, because a steak without an egg is not really a steak," he comments.
As for croquettes, which are also a trademark of the chain, the group sells "around a million" annually, a number equivalent to the number of small beers.
After 100 years, the ambition is to have full breweries and attract "more and more" customers who leave "satisfied, entertained, and who come back often," he said.
In fact, "the truth is that we have seen that with the various stages of the company and the brand's life, we have had different customers, customers in different areas of the country, but the aim is that with this “rebranding” - some changes we have made without distorting the concept - more and more people will come here and more and more people will get to know this experience and like it, which is the most important thing," he concludes.
Portugália currently manages 15 stores, including street and shopping centre locations.
"We also have 24 franchised stores across the country," explains the manager.
The group also has other brands, including Brasserie, with six stores, Ribadouro with one store, Trindade with another and Segundo Muelle with another.
The group's goal is to open 25 Portugália stores by 2030.
The rebranding took a year and a half to plan and began exactly one year ago, when Portugália celebrated its 99th anniversary at the Almirante Reis store. It includes a new logo, new products, new uniforms and new working methods, the manager said.
Twelve of the stores managed by the group have already been refurbished, with three more to be completed by the end of the year. As for the franchisees, they are halfway through the refurbishment.
ALU/ADB // ADB.
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