Rio's Brazilian

Our Story

“When you grow up with a lot of brothers and sisters in Brazil, everyone has to help out, in the kitchen, around the house, with younger kids. That's how I learned to cook, because everyone had to do their best for everyone else.

I met Elias Martins, a true Carioca (native of Rio de Janeiro), in the summer of 1998. When I first visited his home, Elias ended up working much later than expected and I spent the entire day with his mom, older sister and little brother. Not able to speak Portuguese yet, our communication was his mother’s cooking and my expanding belly.

Not only did I learn the variety and richness of Brazilian cuisine that day, but I quickly became acquainted with the bottomless well of Brazilian hospitality.

I spent another four years in Brazil teaching English, but what I was really doing was learning…learning the Portuguese language, learning about the throbbing beat of Brazilian culture, and better still, learning that Elias Martins is an amazing cook!

When we came to the United States we settled in Philadelphia for a while where Elias worked for two top restaurants, and I for a communications firm that gave me a taste for design and promotion. Wanting to combine our talents and interests, we thought of starting our food business in Philly, but couldn’t ever find a way to put it all together.

Moving to Austin, Texas in 2006 gave us a perfect environment to bring our dream, Rio’s Brazilian, to life; beautiful year-round weather; a thriving, culturally-interested population; and an active and growing Farmers’ Market right in the middle of downtown.

In September 2006 we set up our very own card table under a 10” x 10” tent and waited to see what Austinites would think of our Brazilian cuisine. Some things have been a huge hit, like our Risoli de Camarão, a savory pastry stuffed with shrimp, garlic, green bell pepper and onion. Some things haven’t gone so well, like the Brigadeiro, a super-rich chocolate dessert ball that is a sugary staple in Brazil, but a fizzle in the noon-day Texas sun.

While Elias worked as a cook and I as a bartender, we continued to build our clientele at the Farmers’ Market, learn from our mistakes, and perfect our recipes. Our debut retail products, our three all-natural Malagueta sauces, went in the flagship Whole Foods Market here in Austin, Texas in late 2008.

Starting in March 2009, Elias and I have dedicated ourselves full-time to Rio’s Brazilian, and have hit the ground running with our three all-natural Brazilian cheese breads (Pão de Queijo.) What makes our Brazilian cheese breads different is that they are all-natural, go straight from the freezer to the oven with no need for thawing or rising, and are done (and delicious) in twenty minutes.

Our Original version is the traditional style of cheese bread. We took our Original cheese bread to the next level with our Basil version and our Roasted Red Pepper version. Still all-natural, still gluten-free* and really good!

Handmade in Austin, Texas, we hope you, your family and friends will enjoy our Brazilian cheese breads.

Thank you,

Ben Googins & Elias Martins