Behind great companies and brands there are always great inspiring stories, which show us that the strength to face all the hardship in life is in the passion and determination of its founders who have turned all their obstacles into roads to success.
Mosteiro do Leitão has opened its doors to the public in 2008, being located in Estrada Nacional N.º1, it has restored an unoccupied restaurant, which has been closed for many years. Three company associates saw in this old restaurant a business opportunity that due to its location in a tourism route has had a great potential in promoting the traditional Portuguese cuisine, mainly the one associated with the art of roasting suckling pig.
Right from the start there has always been in its genesis a trust and services’ transparency which was developed in a space where customers could see all the cooking process, either in roasting the suckling pig or the restaurant’s kitchen.
Despite the company’s associates will to fight the most dreaded preconception, the restaurant was considered just another passing by place due to its location. After the early years of enthusiasm, the bad reviews emerged and nothing was done to improve the restaurant, in addition the economic crisis of the sector has also contributed to a significant decrease in the number of customers.
The disagreement among partners intensified in a way that they shared different visions for their business, up to the point that the couple Bruno Figueiredo and Zita Freire decided to become the sole partners of the company. It was then that Bruno has managed to follow his vision and, despite the location of the restaurant, his house ex-libris of demanding very good quality products has allowed the return of may old customers, who in turn would recommend the restaurant to other people.
Hand in hand with the good quality of their products, Zita imprinted her vision of quality of services and exterior communication.
With the success and recognition that followed, the partners decided to risk more to improve, so in 2015 they have made a strong bet in the excellence cuisine which could match the quality of the food served there. Also in 2015 the restaurant has gained a veterinary control number (a number exclusively attributed to all the establishments which fulfill all the requisites established by the regulations and legislation of the food sector, verified and approved by a qualified authority – Direcção Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária (the Portuguese National Authority for Food and Animal Health).
In 2015 the results of the team’s effort and dedication were beginning to be quite visible, the restaurant has won the first place and an excellence certificate from the tourism website TripAdvisor, remaining in 2016 with the first place in the same website.
Being aware of the superior quality of the restaurant, Zita challenged her team to participate, for the first time, in the national competition for Melhor Arroz de Portugal 2016 (“best rice of Portugal 2016”) in March. This initiative challenges all professional chefs to present their best rice recipes. With the surprising suggestion of Crispy Suckling Pig Risotto, by chef Ricardo Fernandes, the restaurant Mosteiro do Leitão has received the first place in the two phases of the competition.
Realizing that the consumers are more and more demanding and exquisite in their choices, in May 2016 there was a big improvement in the renovation of the restaurant’s space, making it more welcoming and modern. In spite of being a restaurant which is specialized in roasting pig, it presents a menu with a wide variety, from fresh fish to the best quality meat and a variety of wines which offer the customer the opportunity to choose the best option for an enjoyable meal.
The constant search for innovation and services avant-garde has led the restaurant Mosteiro do Leitão to enter the program Brendait in 2016, becoming the pioneer partner in the catering area. Our goal is to make Mosteiro do Leitão a restaurant for all people regardless of one’s personal or physical individuality.
The challenges we face make us become better each day, always taking special consideration to what the customers have to say.