Portuguese Mini-market “The Prego” will expand to Los Angeles in 2027

O portuguese and Brazilian products market “O Prego”, currently operating in San Marcos, San Diego County, will expand to Los Angeles and potentially other locations in 2027, Lusa the owner João da Silva Nunes told.

“Los Angeles is a big city and the traffic is huge. It is very difficult to move, so I would like to have some points in Los Angeles that could give access to the community there ", explained the Portuguese businessman.

The demand for Portuguese products is consistent and the Portuguese-American community of Los Angeles does not have a market where it can acquire them, after the only store of this type, Portugal Imports, has moved to Fountain Valley in Orange County.

“The Prego is to be a base and then from here I want to open smaller shops and use this to supply them”, explained the entrepreneur. “I think next year, God willing, if everything goes well.”.

João da Silva Nunes has postponed the expansion due to uncertainty in the economy, with the increase in the cost of living, the high price of fuels, tariffs and the shrinkage of consumers.

“That’s all stopped now because we don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, so until we know for sure we’ll wait a little bit,” he shared. The businessman expects the mid-term elections on November 3rd to offer greater stability. “I think that from next year we will have a little more vision, where the country goes, the economy goes, and then we will be able to take more risks, according to stability.”.

For now, the owner of the market is focused on paying attention to customers and favoring the most sought-after products, also trying to increase the variety when possible.

The biggest success is cream pastel, which sells between four and six thousand units a month. The pasta is imported from Portugal and the filling made by its own kitchen.

Cheese, sausage, cod cakes and lupins are also very sought after. “And products like honey, sweets, cereals, [...] these things that remind a little of childhood,” said João da Silva Nunes.

“ It gives us pleasure to be able to offer these kinds of things or products to our community. It is our mission, for example, to remind our youth”, he added.

In the pastry section it is also possible to buy Berlin balls and rice cakes and the selection of products includes frozen soft eggs, cooking broths, canned tuna, Portuguese rice, dry talk and even cat languages.

There are also aprons with tile patterns, cookbooks in Portuguese and pieces made with cork, such as bracelets and earrings.

Many of the customers looking for the market are not Portuguese, but are interested in typical products. On the weekend, the terrace usually fills with customers looking for mixed toasts, port-style bifanas, Frenchies and, of course, nail on bread.

“Portugal is now fashionable,” said the manager. “There are many people who travel to Portugal and the islands and when they return to the United States they look for some things they loved when they visited our land there,” he said.

“And we are here to try to offer.”.