30 Ans Plus Tard, Ferreira Construit une Dynastie Hôtelière Portugaise

Not everyone wants to go into business with their family, but for sisters Claudia and Sandra Ferreira who grew up at Table 26 at their father Carlos’ Ferreira Café, it came naturally in the form of respect and commitment.

“Our father never stepped foot in a restaurant until he came to Montreal,” says Sandra, 37, now Director of Operations at the restaurant. For that matter, Carlos (as they call him) had never eaten food stored in a refrigerator, and had only eaten the meat his family raised on their farm in Estarreja, on the banks of the Antuã River about 45 kilometres from Porto.

“He wanted nothing less than to have one of the most grande tables in the city, to have its business people frequent it, and to be at the heart of the city,” says Claudia, 33, who plays a key role in bringing the Ferreira brand ‘F’ to the public in the form of wine and olive oil they produce on the family’s land in Portugal’s Douro Superior region.

Carlos, now 70, arrived in Montreal in 1975 at the age of 19. He initially worked as a dishwasher, and later as a delivery driver for Pâtisserie Belge and Chez Gauthier, a since-shuttered high-end bakery and bistro that gave him a taste of what might be possible.

Life as an immigrant wasn’t easy for Carlos and his family. He spoke no French or English, and it took three years before the family was able to see their way out of backbreaking work, the restaurateur says. His ambitions and expectations were clear, though, and he made his dream of establishing a fine dining restaurant worthy of them true.

Asked what’s changed since the restaurant hit its 30th, Sandra doesn’t hesitate for a second. “The first thing that comes to mind is that nothing has changed,” she says.

Dreams so real

“I didn’t want to create just another inexpensive neighbourhood restaurant,” he says. “I wanted this restaurant to represent a grand Portugal, not that little Portugal that’s a small part of Europe. I wanted it to be an embassy, representing the country, its culture, and its food.”

By any measure, Carlos has succeeded. The rue Peel restaurant is celebrating its 30th year this summer, the Michelin Guide has recommended it again for a second year, and recent renovations (completed in a record three weeks), have continued to bring accolades and admiration to the family enterprise. And while he’s passed certain aspects of the restaurant’s day-to-day management to Sandra and Claudia, he’s there every day, deep in discussion at Table 26, connecting with his customers, wine importers, and the city’s movers and shakers.

“I’m not pulling back,” he says. “We’re working together.”

Sandra echoes her father’s sentiment. Her official title is one thing, but she downplays giving what she does a name. “We work together. We work as a family, and there’s no end date. I’m here gaining experience and we’re just getting better at what we do. I don’t know when I changed titles, but it doesn’t really mean anything!”

“There’s no specific day I can cite when I ‘took over,’ “ she adds, “In fact, I can’t say that I think I really have taken over the reins.”