The historic “Iberia,” a reference restaurant for Newark’s Portuguese community, closed Sunday to make way for a major $1 billion real estate project, the establishment’s owner told Lusa.
Located on Ferry Street (Ironbound) – also known as the heart of ‘Little Portugal’ because of the important Portuguese community living in the North American city of Newark – the Iberia Tavern&Restaurant ended a 49-year history last Sunday, without shedding tears. misses and memories of the many events that were celebrated there.
“This was a house that was visited by people from all over the world. It was a point of reference and people will miss it – not just Portuguese, but also North and South Americans. We shed a lot of tears here on Sunday. Over the years over Iberia it has been the scene of many declarations of love, birthday parties, weddings, baptisms… a family married four children here.
During a conversation with Lusa, Fernandes was interrupted by customers who still did not know that the “Iberia” was coming to an end and who were looking for a table for lunch, receiving with surprise the information from the Portuguese owner: “We are final Closed”.
The age of Jorge Fernandes (77 years old) and Hilda Loureiro (76 years old), co-owners of “Ibéria”, was one of the reasons for selling the establishment, since “it is time for them to retire and rest”, but it was not a unique factor.
According to Fernandes, the heavy inflation felt in the country and the lack of labor also weighed in when it was time to say goodbye to the restaurant and the property in question, which has an area of more than five hectares, that is, more than 20 thousand square meters.
This historic restaurant will now prompt a major real estate investment, largely due to its proximity to the Newark Penn Station, which connects the states of New Jersey and New York, among others.
“A project for 2,500 apartments is being developed that, taking into account the high construction prices, including cost of ownership, will be worth a billion dollars. This project belongs to a group of Orthodox Jews from Brooklyn,” said the Portuguese businessman. .
Regarding the impact of this development on a location traditionally visited and inhabited by Portuguese emigrants, Jorge Fernandes judged that it is a reflection of the times and that “progress cannot be stopped”.
After the sale of the restaurant was made official, there was no lack of customers who praised the trajectory of “Iberia” and lamented the outcome on social networks.
“This restaurant is part of what made the Ironbound neighborhood popular. It is very sad that the Portuguese community has slowly disappeared from the area. We are all getting older and something has to change, but it is not easy to see this place disappear,” said a customer on the Facebook page “Iberia”.
“It will surely be missed. I remember my dad taking us for the best seafood dinners as a kid,” another customer wrote.
Also, Portuguese descendant Michael Silva, Bairro Leste alderman on the Newark City Council, used social networks to refer to “Iberia” as a reference in Portuguese gastronomy and a landmark in Ironbound history.
“It was here that many residents started their lives, that many business people learned the ABCs of success, that many stories came true. As a councilor, I can say that it is a sad day, but at the same time one of hope,” he defended.
“Sad because Iberia was a great reference for our community, an example of what we can achieve with work, dedication and passion for our attachment to the values of our own history. Of hope, because now a new cycle will open, with new opportunities and options. Our neighborhood and our residents will always be my, our priority,” he assured.
The history of “Iberia” as it stands today dates back to the 1970s, in a business activity intertwined with that of two well-known figures in the Portuguese community: João Loureiro, born in Vila Nova de Cerveira, and Jorge Fernandes , born from Ponte de Lima, as explained by Jorge Santos, author of “The Portuguese in New Jersey”.
In 2015, the restaurant’s business activity was shaken by the departure – of the now deceased – João Loureiro, who was replaced by his then-wife Hilda Loureiro, who, together with Jorge Fernandes, ensured the management of the restaurant in the following years in a period marked due to a significant numerical reduction of the Portuguese community and the growth of Latin American communities in the region.
Source: DN
