Framingham's Newest Cafe Mixes Brazilian And American Favorites

FRAMINGHAM, MA — When Anderson Torres bought the space at 134 Franklin Street, he didn't think it would take nearly three years to build a restaurant there. "This was always our dream," Torres said of the family restaurant. As with any dream worth pursuing, he stuck to it and now, a little over two years later, he's happy he did.

The Franklin Street Cafe is Framingham's newest restaurant and combines American breakfast classics with Brazilian specials. The restaurant opened last week and an official grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Tuesday. Open seven days a week from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. the restaurant offers breakfast lunch and dinner — early enough for the commuters and late enough for those looking for dinner after a long day.

Torres said he eye'd the space on Franklin Street because he saw a need in the area. "The location needed something like this," he said. He highlighted the large number of commuters that pass through the area in the mornings on their way to work, either in town or in Boston. "It's a convenient place for people to grab food before work," Torres said.

The space was originally an insurance agency and Torres said it took lots of time and effort to turn it around into a restaurant. A year and half was dedicated to construction and bringing the establishment up to proper city code for restaurants."I think the community appreciates us taking something, not so nice looking, and bringing a restaurant," he said.

Before diving into the restaurant business, Torres owned a car dealership for 25 years. He and his family also still own and operate a cleaning company, but the restaurant was always the goal. "This was always our dream, it's something the whole family can get involved with," he said. Torres admits he came into the business with little experience but said it's helped him grow as an owner."I thought it would be easier, I learned a lot," he chuckled.

Torres and his family have lived in Framingham for 31 years, moving to the city from Brazil. Torres made sure the menu incorporates some of his American favorites, like a classic bacon, egg and sausage breakfast, as well as his Brazilian favorites. One of the Brazilian specials is Moqueca, a fish and beef stew made from shark fillet, shrimp and vegetables, traditionally served with rice and salad.

Through the long road to opening day, Torres said one thing remained consistent. "We have had so much support from the community and our neighbors," he said. Since construction started over a year ago, Torres said he's been answering emails about the new restaurant and the first week open has only lifted his and his family's spirits even higher. "I was so surprised by how busy we were the first week we opened," he said, "We all have goals for the restaurant, but this first week has assured us we'll have no problem reaching those goals."

While the restaurant may be brand new, Torres already has visions of possibly opening more and handing down the business to his children. In the meantime, he happily sings the praises of the community that stood by his side to support him and his business and invites them in for coffee and a bite to eat.