EP #83 - Building Mr. Petisco: A Family’s Brazilian Dream In Massachusetts

A small family shop with a big heart, Mr. Petisco was born at a kitchen table during the pandemic and grew into a thriving Peabody storefront bringing the Taste of Brazil to Main Street. Lais Lima shares how a father’s recipes, a mother’s financial savvy, and a daughter’s drive turned risk into resilience and culture into community. Every bite reflects care—potatoes peeled in-house, dough made from scratch, and food cooked fresh to order with no additives, just warmth, grit, and flavor. Even a naming mix-up that briefly confused locals became an opportunity to rebrand and strengthen their neighborhood presence.

Their success also travels through the local festival circuit, where weekends bring new customers, shared stories, and inspiration for future dishes. For anyone who loves authentic Brazilian food, supports local entrepreneurs, or dreams of starting something meaningful, Mr. Petisco’s journey offers both encouragement and a blueprint: work with care, adapt quickly, and let culture guide the way. Explore their menu and catering options at www.bot.mrpetisco.com, call 978-896-2409, or visit 85 Main Street, Suite C9, Peabody, MA to experience their story through every delicious bite.

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Young Godfrey.

SPEAKER_01 (00:11):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Today we're thrilled to havewith us Lice Lima.
She is the daughter of theowners of Mr.
Potisco, located in Peabody,Massachusetts, off Main Street.
Lice, how are you doing thismorning?
I'm doing great.
How are you?
Doing fantastic.

(00:31):
Thank you for asking.
Enjoying this wonderful morning.
Lice, can you please tell ourlisteners about Mr.
Patisco?
Of course.

SPEAKER_02 (00:39):
Hello, everyone.
Thank you for having me heretoday.
This was a very exciting andunexpected invitation.
We couldn't be happier to joinyou this morning.
Mr.
Patisco is a family business.
I actually helped my parents runit.
And they are we are located inPeabody off Main Street.
And our journey through it allwill be thought through the

(01:03):
questions.
But the main idea was to bringthe Taste of Brazil to
Massachusetts.

SPEAKER_01 (01:09):
Beautiful, beautiful.
And you have done that.
So what's the backstory?
How did your parents get intothis business?

SPEAKER_02 (01:16):
So uh our main goal here was to definitely bring our
family, our culture, and ourfood closer to what we are now
called home.
Uh, we were a little far awayfrom it, but in the midst of the
pandemic, we decided to cometogether and build Mr.
Patisco from the ground up witha lot of hard work and the help

(01:36):
with the city of Peabody.
We uh got this first store ofmany, hopefully, up and running
in March of 2022.
My dad, not only the brainsbehind all the delicious
recipes, he did also all of thedecorating and the floors, the
walls, the everything.

(01:57):
He really did help.
So that's why we do have themister on the Patisco.

SPEAKER_01 (02:04):
Love it, love it, and love it.
What are some myths ormisconceptions surrounding Mr.
Patisco?

SPEAKER_02 (02:14):
Oh, there was actually a really funny one that
happened in the when we firstopened our doors.
Some people really thought Mr.
Patisco was a pet store, evenwith all the pictures and
products on the window, the bowtie and the pet and the potisco
really confused the few people.
Since then, we've updated ourstorefront and we're adding a
big, beautiful sign to the 95Main Street building.

(02:36):
And hopefully, now there's noconfusion, confusions, no
problems on that end.

SPEAKER_01 (02:42):
Beautiful.
I can see how confusion can comeout of that.
So thank you for elaborating onthat and sharing that with us.
So, Lice, outside of work, whatdo you do for fun?

SPEAKER_02 (02:57):
So, me myself, I go on hikes with my husband and my
kid, but my parents, the ownersof the business, are very much
involved with festivals andfairs and all of that over the
weekend.
So they really don't have muchtime for you know fun, what you
would call it.
But uh most of the fun right nowis at the festivals and the

(03:20):
fairs, they've beenparticipating, lots of cool
stuff happens on those.
Uh, meeting a lot of new peopleevery day, so many other
business owners, so manyinteresting stories, dreams, and
aspirations.
It's always so so awesome.
Um, but yeah, that that's rightnow is uh walking around the

(03:41):
festivals uh while they're notworking and meeting new people,
meeting um new food, newfriends, and that's that's how
they make their fun as of rightnow.

SPEAKER_01 (03:52):
Okay, beautiful.
Involvement, engagement, it'sall good.
Yes, for sure.
So, Lice, um, changing gears.
Subscribe to our listeners onehardship or one of life's
challenge that you rose aboveand can now say that because of
it, you're stronger, you'rebetter.
What comes to your mind?

SPEAKER_02 (04:12):
Uh so at 23, I've learned that sometimes you have
to sacrifice small things toreach big ones.
When my parents started Mr.
Patisco, it wasn't only aboutthe food, it was about creating
roots, teaching me and my sisterresilience and building
something meaningful to ourfamily.

(04:33):
That's what Mr.
Patisco represents to us, adream built with our own hands
to bring people together throughfood and culture.

SPEAKER_01 (04:42):
Beautiful, and it would be a legacy that will pass
on from generation togeneration.
Yes, yes, open soul.
Beautiful.
So, Lice, can you please tellour listeners one thing they
should remember about Mr.
Potisco?

SPEAKER_02 (04:59):
Of course.
So everything in Mr.
Patisco is done with so muchlove, with so much grit, and we
have so much history.
We each uh have a part of thepillar, it's crucial.
I do my best on the socialmedia, so I focus on the
website, the festivals, and thefairs we participate with the

(05:19):
permits and city halls and allof that.
But my mom runs the financialside of things, and my dad, as
you guys know, um, is the brainbehind it all.
Our Mr.
Tuar Patisco, so he does a lotof the recipes, he is the the
brain there.
Um, all the delicious recipesare from him.

(05:42):
My mom does help him a lot onthose, and um, one of the
important things people shouldknow is that everything is
prepared right when you guys getthere.
Um, everything is freshly fried,freshly made, and handmade.
So our family makes it out ofscratch.

(06:04):
We peel our potatoes, we mashthe potatoes, we make the dough,
everything is made from us, andthere's no added anything to it,
you know?
And they I'm very proud to bringthat to you guys.
And um, one more thing, not tomake it long, but there's only a

(06:25):
few times that you see peoplehelping us, mostly during the
festivals and the fairs, um,other special occasions, um, but
most of it is just our family,and I'm very proud of what we
brought together, uh, just thefour of us.
So, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (06:43):
Beautiful, a family affair.
Love it.
It is so Lice.
How can our listeners learn moreabout Mr.
Potisco?
Do you have a website?
Yes, we do.

SPEAKER_02 (06:55):
So, if you guys are interested in placing catering
orders, joining us for ourfestivals and fairs, um, wants
to just explore the menu tolearn more about us, just feel
free to um check out ourwebsite, www.bot.mrpatisko.com.
All our contact information isthere with uh, but you could if

(07:19):
you would like to call us rightnow, you could call us on
978-896-2409, and we are locatedon 85 Main Street, Suite Seat 9,
Peabody, Massachusetts.

SPEAKER_01 (07:34):
Beautiful, beautiful.
A big thank you for being on theshow with us today, Lice.
Thank you.
We wish you and your family allthe very best moving forward.

SPEAKER_02 (07:45):
Thank you, thank you.
I really hope everything goeswell with you, too.
I'm very excited for this.

SPEAKER_00 (07:54):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on the
show, go to gnpnorthore.com.
That's gnpnorthore.com.
Or call 857 703 9406.