Bar Brahma, Bar Léo, Riviera, Branch, Orfeu, Blue Note, Bar dos Arcos, Love Story. It may seem that the only thing in common between these addresses in São Paulo is the fact that they are historic or trendy spots in the city. But not. All are under the command of or have the same name among the partners — the company with the suggestive name of Fábrica de Bars, which has dominated a certain circuit of São Paulo nightlife.
Led by businessman Cairê Aoas, the group had as one of its last moves to bring the Branch back to life. The classic bar in Vila Madalena spent 22 months with its doors closed before saying goodbye definitively. But the house reopened to the public this Wednesday, the 26th, after having the operation acquired by Aoas’ company.
Despite the historical weight and even a certain mythology about many of the houses he manages —after all, what about the corner of Ipiranga and São João, immortalized by Caetano Veloso in “Sampa” and where is Bar Brahma?—, Aoas doesn’t He’s the typical bar owner.
At 38, he looks more like a Faria Lima businessman, who uses words like “concept”, “case”, “experience” and “ecosystem” to talk about business. In the release, the brand, created in 2014, is defined as a “hub for the development, management and operation of establishments such as bars, restaurants and concert halls”.
“It was all very by chance. The company was not created to be what it is today”, says he, who has worked at night for 25 years and comes from a family whose paths cross with that of the center of the capital.
His grandfather, a son of Lebanese parents, worked as a street vendor, watchmaker and pen maker in the 15 de Novembro street area since the 1950s. His father also opened a pastry shop in the center. “It was the way he found to bring some sustenance to the family.” Later, he took over the management of Café São Paulo Antigo, in Largo da Santa Cecília, in the 1990s. “As it was not very popular at night, my father had the idea of putting on a live music program.”
According to Aoas, the success of São Paulo Antigo lasted about 20 years and that’s what led his father to embrace the rescue of Bar Brahma as a mission. It was also at this time that he started working with his family, at the age of 13.
Founded in 1948 by a German immigrant, Bar Brahma occupies the classic corner of Ipiranga and São João avenues, closed its doors in the 1990s and reopened in 1997 with a new name, São João 677, and Kaiser beer on taps. Then it closed again.
Aoas’ father, Álvaro, took over the place in 2001. “He wanted to rescue this very important point for the city and for the culture of the center”, he says. So he bet on the creation of Camarote Brahma along the lines of what already existed in Rio and, again, on live music. “It was when Cauby Peixoto and Angela Maria, who had never been on the Brahma stages, started to perform”, he says.
After Brahma came the rescue of Leo. On Aurora street since 1940, the bar closed its doors after a scandal involving the sale of pirated beer, in 2012. The Aoas family leased the brand and, in four months, the place resurfaced with promises of returning to tradition. “That’s where our vision of looking at traditional brands in São Paulo started and understanding what we could do there.”
The increase in the portfolio also brought criticism from those who complain that Fábrica de Bars de-characterizes traditional spaces, somehow pasteurizing the spirit of the places.
The entrepreneur recognizes that many people turn up their noses at professional management. “Of course it loses some of its personality,” says Aoas. For him, the group does its best to try to preserve what he calls the essence of the bar. “What we do is contribute with management, scale and commercial relationships to give a new continuity to the house.”
In Léo’s case, they even invited customers to talk and sent a car to pick up Seu Luiz, the oldest waiter in the house, to take him to work. Known as Luizinho, he stayed at the place for 55 years, until the year of his death, in 2017, at the age of 96. “We even kept the way of taking out the beer, which is different from Bar Brahma.”
At the Branch, the company’s most recent rescue, the greatest care was taken with the gastronomy and opening hours – the address is famous for being open until the wee hours. “More than keeping the menu, we wanted to value the essence of the house. So we invited Rômulo Morente, from Moela, which is a bar that we think sums up what the gastronomy of a pub is today”, he says.
By the end of the year, the group will open another bar — Duco next to Bar Brahma, in a rare initiative created from scratch. In addition, they also open a new Love Cabaré, in place of the old Love Story, a partnership with businessman Facundo Guerra and the chain of motels Lush. Finally, they take over the Marabá hotel, also in the center. Not to mention the three houses that will open in Brasília until the end of the year – in total, there are five there.
“We are passionate about downtown. Amazingly, there are many people from São Paulo who do not know the region. This is a problem, but also an opportunity”, says Aoas, in the best business style.
Fábrica de Bars took a few years to take the form it has today — after Léo, the next business was Jacaré, in Vila Madalena, which only became part of the portfolio in 2018. Today there are 19 houses and some internal branches. This is the case of FabLab, an “accelerator of initiatives and ideas aimed at disrupting the bar and restaurant segment”, in the company’s words, whose development took place during the pandemic.
“Today we try to understand ourselves more as an ecosystem of brands, products, addresses than just an operator”, he reflects. But bars still have beers on tap.
Bar Brahma
Av. São João, 677, Centro. Instagram @barbrahma
Bar Leo
R. Aurora, 100, Santa Ifigenia. barleo.com.br
Bar Filial
R. Fidalga, 254, Vila Madalena. Instagram @barfilial
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
