Summary
The Massa no Copo chain was created by brothers Dalmo and Magno Santana, who opened their first unit in Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul, and now aim to expand throughout Brazil.
While returning early in the morning from a business trip, Dalmo Santana, Magno's younger brother, had an idea that would change their lives. Hungry, he asked his wife if she had anything to eat and in response found pasta stored in a glass-like container in the refrigerator. It was there that he thought about how practical it would be to enjoy good Italian cuisine in such a package. Years passed and the couple moved from Salvador to Gramado in Rio Grande do Sul. Still with that idea, Dalmo opened up to his brothers what he once thought. Magno, who lives in the capital of Bahia, after listening to his younger self, believed in the potential of the business, immersed himself in market research and invested in the creation of the Masa no Cobo brand. Now, four years after the opening of the first unit, Network 300 becomes part of a high-impact ecosystem, foreseeing a market of up to 100 units by the end of 2025.
Dalmo saw the first opportunity in 2010, and although he had researched the market at that time, it was six years later when he shared it with his brothers. After more research, the search for an investor, and the development of recipes, packaging, and store design, all done between a pair of brothers who lived more than three thousand kilometers away, Massa no Copo was officially launched in October 2020 in the city of Gramado.
The initial vision was grandiose: the business combined the foreign cuisines so beloved by Brazilians with practicality and convenience, essential attributes today. However, amid the pandemic and closed-door business, the tourist town of Serra Gaucha has seen its traffic plummet. With no people on the streets, no tourists moving through the area, and supplies not yet fully fortified, Masa no Kobo was already facing a crisis.
In 2022, they opened a second unit in Chapeco (SC), and in 2023, a third unit in Campinas (SP). The two new stores brought the excitement the duo needed to move forward. The brothers shared operations experience with Dalmo and Magno worked in planning and marketing, but still lacked a connection in the network's business community. Thinking about strengthening management, Agle invited José de Carvalho Sousa as a partner, an experienced in the financial sector, who came to join forces for the expansion of the brand.
Then, in 2023, with this new perspective, the store concept changed its direction to Porto Alegre, capital of Rio Grande do Sul. Now, in 2024, it will become part of the high-impact 200 ecosystem owned by partners Leonardo and Leandro Castello, who embrace the business and plan to set a new pace, bringing Masa no Cobo to all of Brazil.
A child's dream
At the age of 13, Dalmo took unusual steps. He went alone to a lumberjack and asked him to get him old pieces of wood that naturally could not be used in the manufacturing process. He called some friends, offered to collaborate and opened a wooden educational toy factory. The business expanded, but because it interfered with his studies, he abandoned it at his father's request. A few years later, he started reselling fruit pulps in Salvador and considered opening a skateboard factory.
But in college, while studying business administration, the course changed and the young man entered the business world. He managed some parallel projects and in 2002 founded a consultancy focused on loyalty marketing in the capital of Bahia, but until 2020 his management was alone.
While the youngest son invested in his own ventures, the eldest son started working with his father in the family business, a typical small store a few years ago (it sold everything, even photocopied and laminated documents). Magno, a guitarist and singer in a heavy metal band and interested in genetics, studied biology and, after a brief period as a bank clerk, began chromosome mapping projects. He worked in environmental biomonitoring, participated in the first children's assisted reproduction project in a laboratory in the Northeast and was invited to teach and build a biotechnology laboratory at Senai.
However, the biologist and musician was enchanted by a completely new project in his free time, distance education, which changed the course of his life forever. Since then, his career has revolved around marketing and brand building. He founded his own company, which he maintained for 20 years, until leaving in 2020 to dedicate himself to his own business, this time with his brother.
Today, Massa no Copo is experiencing a new phase of rapid growth following the entry of the High Impact Ecosystem 300. With market studies indicating significant expansion potential throughout Brazil, mainly in the Southeast and South regions, driving the business in the coming months, 100 operations will be sold until the end of 2025 with revenues of R$ 100 million.
The main attraction is pasta, with a mix of items including bruschetta, piatinas and salads. There are seven varieties: spaghetti, tagliatelle, pappardelle, penne, fusilli, gnocchi and tarti; Combined with nine different sauces, there is the possibility of mixing the two, and the freshly prepared ingredients are collected directly into biodegradable packaging. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are also available, the brothers' commitment to serving everyone well. After all, one of the dishes most loved by Brazilians deserves to be democratized and appreciated.
