Portugalia Marketplace
Opened: 1988; ca. 2014 in this location
Fall River, MA (and this area of southeastern Massachusetts) is known for its Portuguese community, and so it won't come as a surprise that there are many Portuguese grocers here in the area. One of the most interesting stores is Portugalia Marketplace, located in downtown Fall River. The store is only 16,000 square feet, but it's located in a spacious building that appears to have been formerly industrial, making it feel larger. Portugalia opened up here around 2014 -- you can see this building prior to Portugalia on past Google Maps street views -- but originally opened in an older location in town, in 1988.
You enter the store to a giant rooster statue, which I love, greeting us to the small produce department in front of the store. A cafe and bakery are to the left, in this expansion. It appears that the building originally started at the arched brick wall. In the front section are the cafe and bakery, bulk foods and sale items, and the registers, along with a small homegoods shop called Artigos in the front-right corner. In the back area, in the original brick building, are the grocery aisles, with a liquor store on the left side, and on the back wall, prepared foods, deli, and cheese. Meat and seafood are on the right side.
This is the most upscale of the Portuguese markets in the area -- as you can tell from the beautiful interior and displays. I know of people who would travel long distances to get here (someone I knew in Worcester, which isn't too far away but a solid hour-plus drive, would come here for Portuguese items you couldn't find any closer. He recommended this store to me years ago and said "it feels like being in Portugal." Having never been to Portugal, I'll take his word for it).
Cafe, which includes a small coffee shop and bakery, on the left side of the store.
I particularly love the wooden ceiling in the original building.
The prepared foods counters and deli department are on the back wall of the store.
And the grocery aisles are in front of that. The selection is almost entirely imported Portuguese items, so there's no storebrand. Portugalia isn't a member of any cooperative.
Among the very thoughtful design touches around the store is the tile patterns on the end of each shelf, which you can see below.
The same tile motif appears behind the service departments. And as you can see here, this isn't your average supermarket deli.
Cheese wheels are also available in bulk!
Meat and seafood are on the right side of the store, including a separate room for salted fish (bacalhau).
Frozen foods are on this side of the store, too.
Bacalhau is a staple in Portuguese cooking -- in fact, salt fish is common in a wide range of cuisines.
Looking across the middle of the store. You can see the grocery aisles to the right and the expansion area on the left.
Rows of bulk foods including beans and grains are in the middle of the expansion area, with the registers on the front wall.
The home goods store, called Artigos (meaning simply "articles" or "goods), is in the front-right corner of the store. Once again, it's upscale and very well-designed.
And don't miss the barrel of wine in the bulk foods department -- which you can buy by the bucket, gallon, or half gallon.
One more look across the middle of the store. This is a unique grocery store, and worth a visit for sure. I had fun wandering the aisles.
Owner: Fernando and Michael Benevides
Previous Tenants: none
Cooperative: none
Location: 489 Bedford St, Fall River, MA
Photographed: October 14, 2024
Tomorrow we'll see a supermarket in southwestern Fall River that has a lot of Portuguese products, but is also a regular supermarket. Come back to check it out!
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