Of all the cutthroat industries to get involved in, the hospitality and restaurant industry has to be one of the toughest. Opening a restaurant is no mean feat. Aside from the gruelling hours and constant dedication, finding the capital to start and maintain a restaurant can be a challenge. Adega, easily one of the country’s most recognised group of Portuguese restaurants, began with only one location in Johannesburg decades ago and has since only seen upward strides.

An Adega prawn platter. Photo supplied.

“It all started with an idea; just a thought that I couldn’t quite shake,” says Luis Ferreira, owner of Adega. “Where can I eat a good Portuguese meal, the way I’d have eaten it in Portugal?” After finding a location in Kensington he loved, he set to work on revamping and renovating the space. And thus Adega was born.

One of the Adega restaurants. Photo supplied.

At this critical time for the business, the right support was imperative. Adega has relied on Mercantile Bank for support since the very beginning. “In the early years, Mercantile had a much catchier name – The Bank of Lisbon and South Africa – and its support was paramount to my successes,” he says. “Not only did they assist with financing and the purchasing of the property, but their support in terms of business lunches and year-end functions went above and beyond, and played a huge role in getting the restaurant going.” That single restaurant didn’t only go on to succeed, it created a legacy. There are now 34 branches that spread across the country and beyond, all with the same ethos. At its core, Adega remains a family-run business serving traditional Portuguese food.

Chicken at Adega. Photo supplied.

After 20 years, Luis thinks he has the perfect recipe for success: “You take vision, add in hard work, combine that with motivated staff and positive partnerships and the final ingredient – a great bank.”