Today we’d like to introduce you to Priscila Dos Santos.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in a slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I started working as a salesperson in clothing stores. I saved money and had an opportunity to open a restaurant alongside my husband and partner Alexandre. At that time, the economy in Brazil was growing and I decided that it was time to start building a better future for my family.
The restaurant I bought was in terrible shape, but I was able to renovate it, improve the menu and work on training the staff to give impeccable customer service. Although it was very hard work but also very rewarding as well. In an undeveloped country, we faced many challenges to overcome a lot of obstacles.
In time, after over 6 years in business, my passion for sharing my Brazilian recipes with my guests grew and I decided it was time to invest in something bigger. I decided to bring my Brazilian cuisine to the United States and start sharing the Brazilian food and a little bit of our culture with the American people.
My dream is to make Brazilian food very accessible and affordable for everybody, sharing it with the largest number of people possible.
I was able to make my dream come true by opening an eatery called: “Nossa! Brazilian Grill”. Nossa! is an expression in Portuguese that means “Wow!”
Nossa! is a new modern and affordable fast-casual concept. Unlike traditional Brazilian steakhouses, Nossa! gives our guests the opportunity to enjoy a Brazilian meal for as little as $6.95. This way, we offer a new option for people of all ages and backgrounds to try the flavors and richness of the Brazilian cuisine, while listening to nice Brazilian music like Bossa Nova.
I am very excited to share my Brazilian food and culture with all the amazing people from the Chicagoland area!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I don’t have enough words to say how difficult my journey has been. I was born in a slum in Rio de Janeiro, I had a single mother and two brothers, and one of my brothers has special needs until this day. My mom worked as a maid, 7 days a week to support us.
As soon as I became of legal age to work, I started working as a salesperson and I just prayed and hoped that my life would get better someday.
After I met my life and business partner, Alexandre, I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Alexandre, who also came from a poor family had a lot of dreams of a better life as well. Together, we started to build our future.
An opportunity presented itself to buy a small piece of property, but we acquired a tremendous amount of debt financing this property. The lack of money was our biggest obstacle. Banks in Brazil have predatory loans and we had very little resources to renovate and improve our business. We ended up doing renovations ourselves and we worked on a very tight budget until we were able to have money to invest in more improvements.
Since then, we have been working so hard and after 6 years in business, we were able to start our second business, this time in America.
Another big challenge that I face even today is to deal with so many different people within our businesses. Sometimes people want to take advantage of us, for instance when people try to sell us things we don’t need. However, most of the people we meet are good.
Overall, it took a lot of sacrifice to transition from being a clothing salesperson to a restaurant owner.
When I started my career, I used to think I wasn’t good enough, that I did not have the resources and that I would never be able to achieve my dreams because I was born poor and hopeless in an undeveloped country. With time I noticed that having negative thoughts only kept me where I was in poverty. I started to think that all my difficulties needed to be the fuel that would give me the strength to move forward.
If I could go back in time I wouldn’t have lost a minute thinking I wasn’t capable of doing things. I would seek out education and empowerment and never go a day without learning something new.
Nossa! Brazilian Grill – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
In 2016, while visiting my sister in law in the Chicagoland area, I saw there were no Brazilian restaurants that were reasonably priced in the area. I immediately saw an opportunity. With the idea of making Brazilian dishes more popular and knowledgeable among the Chicago and suburban communities, I decided that is was time to take the challenge and bring my experience to America.
Now, I am thrilled to be able to offer the flavors and uniqueness of the Brazilian cuisine for a more affordable price.
Nossa! Brazilian Grill invites visitors to try sizzling Churrasco flavors by creating their own meals from selections of a wrap or bowl, filling them with fresh meats, vegetables, rice, beans and sauces which range from vinaigrette to chimichurri.
Some of the featured grilled meats include succulent steak, chicken, sausage and a special grilled cheese. Some of the sides include sautéed cabbage, tabbouleh and cucumber salad, among others. Most meals come with a savory cheese bread. We also feature several special dishes that are very popular in Brazil like the Prime Sirloin Steak (Picanha na Chapa). There are also different types of soups, desserts and a bar serving wine, beer, sangria and coffee.
Nossa! Brazilian Grill aims to offer the simplicity and freshness of the authentic homemade Brazilian recipes that are made with high-quality ingredients so that our guests can enjoy healthy Brazilian dishes at an affordable price.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
In my opinion, success is to be able to offer people a healthier food option, by offering my Brazilian recipes to the public. Success is also being able to employ several people and help our community and overall economy grow.
I am proud to give an example of hard work, resistance and persistence to my two daughters Maria and Manuela. I want to show them that every dream is possible, only when you work and wish hard enough.
I am proud of my traditions and my Latino roots. I believe that different cultures and traditions are what make this world so rich and interesting.
Pricing:
- Sirloin Steak Skewer 8.95
- Roast Beef Stuffed with Sausage Sandwich 8.50
- Beef Stroganoff 11.95
- Grilled Chicken Breast 12.95
- Traditional Sirloin Steak 12.95
- Prime Sirloin Steak 14.95
- Feijoada – Traditional Brazilian Black Beans (on weekends only) 14.95
- Brazilian Flan 4.50
- Acai Bowl 6.00
Contact Info:
- Address: 1340 Butterfield Road, Suite 200A
Downers Grove, IL 60515 - Website: https://www.nossagrill.com/
- Phone: 331-777-2402
- Email: nossa@nossagrill.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nossagrill/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nossagrill/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nossa-brazilian-grill-downers-grove
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