Restaurant Review: Cafe Do Brasil
When Brazilian native Ana Paixao Davis immigrated to Oklahoma in 1983, she couldn't speak English and had only $100. Today, she owns and operates Cafe do Brasil, 440 NW 11, a popular eatery that serves Brazilian cuisine against gay walls of green, yellow and blue, the colors of the Brazilian flag. Originally called More Than Muffins when it opened in 1994, the restaurant changed names in 1998. Then in 2005, the restaurant got a new home. Café Do Brasil celebrates its third anniversary in its midtown location on Nov. 22, with specials beginning on Nov. 16. Don’t forget about Club Bossa Nova at the Top, which is just upstairs from the dining room and boasts rooftop seating.
Q: Why did you come to America?
A: In Brazil, women move from their parents' homes to their husband's homes, become housewives and reproduce. In southeast Brazil, my father owns and operates chicken farms, and my mother is a homemaker who raised children. I am one of 12; I have six older siblings and five younger. I love my parents and family; they're awesome. But I didn't want my traditional culture. I wanted to grow as a person, as a woman, and learn something different. My father refused to help me financially; he didn't want me to leave. But I did at age 25. I came to Oklahoma because a younger brother was going to college here. He was homesick and moved back after graduation. But I stayed and went to school, first to learn English and then earn a business/hotel and restaurant management degree at Oklahoma City University and the University of Central Oklahoma.
Q: How'd you make it?
A: I started out busing tables at Johnnie's Charcoal Broiler, because tables don't talk. Later, I worked as a manager at Cocina de Mino Mexican restaurant for former owner Leticia Hernandez. From that little lady I learned everything, from cooking and food presentation to greeting customers at the door and making them feel special. She now has the Adobe Grill, a Mexican restaurant at NW 50 and Shartel.
Q: When did you start your business?
A: In 1994, I and my older brother Mario, who moved here later, opened More Than Muffins. We served breakfast and lunch from a small storefront we rented at 1903 Classen Blvd. The first day, we made $65; the second day, $120 and I thought yes, yes! But we worked really hard cooking and cleaning, and had little money to pay ourselves after we paid our staff, which eventually grew to seven. In 1998, I bought out my brother, changed the name of the restaurant and introduced native Brazilian cuisine.
Q: Tell us about your relocation here.
A: After I became Cafe do Brasil, I quickly outgrew the space on Classen. On Saturdays, customers were lined up outside the door. With the help of my husband (I married Texas native and immigration attorney Larry Davis in 2001), I bought and renovated Garrison Funeral Home at 440 NW 11 and opened Nov. 22, 2005. With 15,000 square feet, we now serve dinner as well as breakfast and lunch, and have grown to 27 employees.
Q: Do you plan to move back to Brazil?
A: No. Oklahoma is home. I didn't even go back to visit until I'd been here six and a half years. I didn't have the money (my oldest brother paid for my ticket). I also didn't want to be talked into staying. Now, my husband and I visit regularly. We've traveled to many other places, including the French Riviera, Italy, Egypt and the British Virgin Islands. For me, life really did begin after 40.
