For ideal floral arrangements there's only Wild Blossom |
Visiting Goa? Make an Online Reservation at Longuinhos Beach Resort Check out the Goan recipes from Longuinhos |
Designed and produced by Ernie E. Colaço Copyright © 2001 Longuinhos Inc. All Rights Reserved |
About Us |
LONGUINHOS BAR & RESTAURANT - the flagship of the Longuinhos Group of Companies, had its beginnings in the vision and foresight Jose Pedro Longuinho Almeida Coutinho. The patriarch, who was a gunner and also in charge of the military canteen and stores on the SS Rajula, requisitioned for World War II duty, saw a business opportunity in Casa Portugal, a bar and restaurant in Margao which was up for sale. He bought it, revamped it, renamed it and gave it a spanking new façade. The new look Longuinhos Bar & Restaurant opened for business on May 3rd, 1950. Coutinho stamped rigorous standards of hygiene, cuisine and class to make Longuinhos the rendezvous of the cognoscenti, not only of Margao, but the whole of Goa. The top military brass dined here on a monthly payment basis and even the Portuguese Governor General of Goa, Vassalo Silva regularly threw parties at Longuinhos. The frontage with its distinctive signboard featuring the logo done in calligraphic style has remained unchanged over the past fifty years, even as the interiors have undergone extensive renovation. The old billiards room of the Portuguese era has been transformed into the air-conditioned section of the restaurant. Coutinho's foresight, management and the strategic location of the restaurant, bang opposite the Câmara (Municipality) combined to make Longuinhos a veritable institution. Countless Goans will recall with nostalgia that their marriages began with the entrevista - the first meeting of the prospective bride and bridegroom at Longuinhos. And after the Registo Civil (Civil Registration) at the Câmara, where better to celebrate than across the street at Longuinhos of course. That tradition still continues to this day. An added bonus is that marriages made in Longuinhos last forever. Longuinhos was the first restaurant in Margao to feature live music at a time when even canned music in restaurants was in its infancy. Nobby and the Beethovens, a popular Goan band at the time, added a new dimension to Longuinhos. After nearly 25 years of success, times were changing and opportunities beckoned. A change of guard was taking place and the baton passed from the hands of the founder. Coutinho passed away in 1974 and his sons were thrust with the responsibility of taking his place. With specialised courses under their belts, the second generation orchestrated the family's foray into off-premises catering; hospitality (Longuinhos Beach Resort, Colva), floriculture (Wild Blossom Flower Shop, Margao); canning (Longuinhos Canning Industries, Rawanfond); cold storage (Longuinhos Ice & Cold Storage, Rawanfond); farming and animal husbandry (Evoco Farms, Pirla; Reliance Agro Industries, Sanguem; Mollem Plantations Pvt. Ltd., Mollem); and real estate with the high profile Reliance Builders, Margao with its sister companies namely Reliance Real Estate, Reliance Investment & Holdings, Ace Developers, Ace Hotels & Resorts Pvt. Ltd., besides continuing with the original Longuinhos Bar & Restaurant. Through all this, Mrs Floripes Rodrigues e Almeida Coutinho, the matriarch was the continuing link. She was the proverbial woman behind the successful man that was Coutinho when he was at the helm. His spirit was the guiding force while Mrs. Coutinho, her sons Inesio, Ivo, Iloy, Ilio and daughter Ilma struggled through the initial years. The loyal staff manfully stood by the youngsters in their hour of need. Many later left for greener pastures abroad. Indeed, the pedigree of having worked at Longuinhos opened many doors. All in all, it has been a terrific ride for the family held together by maternal love, paternal values, filial obedience and absolute loyalty. It has been fifty years of sheer success and we look forward to many more. |
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Designed and produced by Ernie E. Colaço Copyright © 2001 Longuinhos Inc. All Rights Reserved |
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Visiting Goa? Make an Online Reservation at Longuinhos Beach Resort Check out the Goan recipes from Longuinhos |
For ideal floral arrangements there's only Wild Blossom |
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