Casa da Matrona, a mix of bar and snack bar, has humor and a social cause in SP

A 300 square meter warehouse renovated and transformed into a gastronomic spot decorated with retro furniture, funny signs and trinkets from the 1980s and 1990s draws attention in Vila Zelina, a neighborhood of Eastern European immigrants in the east zone of São Paulo.

The creator of the space, opened in June 2022, is the Moldovan descendant Ivan Alatxeve, aged 50. The name of the house is a tribute to his paternal grandmother, Yalange Matrona Trifon, who migrated alone from Moldova to Brazil at the age of 17.

A good part of the objects — among them, typewriters, trunks, tube TVs and vinyl records that fill the shelves — and the various religious paintings that cover the walls are from the personal collection of Alatxeve and his family, prospected at fairs and church bazaars and gifts given by customers who identify with the space.

In the hall, next to arcade machines with games such as “Pinball” and “Pac-Man”, there is a craft beer station with exposed stainless steel tanks. Those responsible for production are brewmasters Guilherme Lapa and Rafael Zapala, who create a temporary flavor each month, in addition to the IPA, pilsen and lager beers, fixed on the menu and which cost between R$15 and R$23 per glass. 450 milliliters.

In addition to drinks, shots, wines and non-alcoholic beverages, the founder’s relationship with descendants of Russians who work with beverage imports guarantees something difficult to find in bars in São Paulo: batches of vodkas coming directly from Russia such as Kalashnikov, produced by the distillery Glazov, one of the oldest in the country.

Alatxeve invested in his own coffee brand, Matrona Cafés Especiais, and roasts the beans from small producers in the south of Minas Gerais and the interior of São Paulo in a machine at the back of the room.

The coffee packages are also sold in partnerships with several NGOs, such as Compassiva, which serves children, teenagers, women and refugees in vulnerable situations in the city, with part of the profit going to these institutions.

The businessman decided to put the business into practice after contracting Covid in 2020 and suffering serious complications. He had 85% of his lungs compromised, two strokes, thrombosis and cognitive restrictions. “When I had the real possibility of encountering death, I started to question the impact I have on people’s lives and what legacy I will leave,” he says.

When he recovered, he left the partnership of a company that provided consultancy in the area of ​​food retail and began to design Matrona’s business model, mixing different systems that he learned in more than 30 years of career. The result was a collaborative business model in which the profit is shared with those who work in the operation of the house.

Currently, Matrona investors share 50% of revenue with the team of 10 employees. “Those who stay in the operation do not invest money, but invest time and work. The objective is for them to be able to undertake their own businesses in the future”, he explains.

In addition to the division of income, one of the principles of the establishment is welcoming; making customers “feel at home” through friendly service and complimentary water, coffee and toast.

But Matrona also has a sense of humor — “crude humor”, according to the creator. The environment is full of comical phrases and objects such as the house rules painted on the wall near the entrance (“try not to die here” and “don’t forget to leave”), faded toys and dolls made up like the band Kiss reinforce the kitsch atmosphere. .

The playful tone also extends to the names of the menu items, which include artisanal snacks and portions ranging from R$ 15 to R$ 49. One of the most ordered is the crássicuzão, a hamburger with a 130-gram meat disc, dish cheese, house-made smoked barbecue sauces with garlic and watercress served on bread sealed in butter, suitable for “lining the stomach of a rude being”.

Open from Thursday to Sunday, the stage welcomes independent musicians who navigate between rock, pop rock, jazz and blues. The flexible schedule, which can include karaoke nights and guest cooks, is publicized on the house’s social network.