Magic Kitchen

Papi Tavares (New Bedford) Magic Kitchen is a disabled veteran-owned family restaurant in New Bedford, dedicated to bringing the flavors of Cape Verde to the SouthCoast community. The restaurant is designed to serve as a vibrant cultural hub offering freshly prepared meals, customizable options, and live entertainment. Their passion for food and culture drives them to create memorable dining experiences for their guests, where every meal is a journey of taste and tradition.

Hippolyte Tavares [photo left], who prefers to be called Papi, is a top graduate trained chef from the Institute of Culinary Education. His 20 years of military leadership in the Army as a medical laboratory technician and another decade traveling the world honing his love for food and entertainment management at hotels and restaurants, Papi is making his dream a reality.

In addition to reaching out to the Massachusetts SBDC for assistance, Papi enrolled in the SBA "Boots to Business" virtual program and the Veterans Business Outreach Center program. Papi requested support in organizing the initial stage of his startup business and was looking for financial support.

Papi’s mission to create a community-focused dining experience for all patrons while celebrating Cape Verdean and Portuguese heritage through food and entertainment is enhanced by his French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Creole language fluency. He is supported by his wife, Crisolita Do Rosario Ramos, who is the manager with over 20 years of restaurant management experience in Cape Verde.

With the help of his MSBDC advisor, Papi completed his business plan and submitted it to the New Bedford Economic Development Council (NBEDC) and was successfully awarded a NB100! grant!