A taste of Portugal is headed to the northern suburbs of Boston.
According to the Reading Recap, Virginia’s Café & Market is taking over the former Pamplemousse gourmet food and wine shop at 26 Haven St in downtown Reading, directly across from the commuter rail station.
“Very excited to announce that I will be opening Virginia’s Café & Market, a Portuguese-inspired coffee house and marketplace in Reading, MA,” owner Jake Chaves shared in a Facebook post. “This has been my dream for a long time, to share a piece of myself, my family, and my culture with you all. A huge thank you to my family, friends, and community for all the support.”
Chaves, an American-born entrepreneur with grandparents from the Azores islands of Portugal, has long been involved in the local Portuguese community. He told What Now Boston that the café is inspired by his heritage and named after his great-grandmother, Virginia, who was well known in the community for selling her Portuguese sweet bread, Massa Sovada, at a local Portuguese store in Cambridge. That sweet bread is even at the center of the café’s logo.
The 3,728-square-foot space will feature Portuguese coffee, teas, house-baked pastries like queijadas, Portuguese-inspired sandwiches, and a market stocked with imported Portuguese products including olive oil, cheese, jams, peppers, canned sardines, and more. Chaves hopes to create a cozy cultural hub that honors his heritage while offering locals a place to sip, snack, socialize, and shop.
The café is currently undergoing minor renovations, with plans to welcome guests by the end of January 2026. For the latest updates, follow Virginia’s Café & Market on Facebook and Instagram.
UPDATE: This article has been updated to include additional details from Jake Chaves about the café’s inspiration, offerings, and anticipated opening.
