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Date: 12/18/2023
LUDLOW — Two Ludlow Business owners were among 20 people recognized by the Immigrant Learning Center.
Grace Dias from Grace Group Realty LLC and Tony Tavares from Villa Rose Restaurant and Catering were nominees for the 2023 Barry M. Immigrant Entrepreneur Award.
Each year the Immigrant Learning Center hosts a benefit to honor the nominees for the Barry M. Portnoy Immigrant Entrepreneur award.
Dias said, “Any nomination obviously gives you a sense of pride, I won’t lie about that. I am grateful. I think everyone would be grateful to be recognized. I love America. Maybe because I wasn’t born here and I have a true appreciation for it because I became an American citizen by choice.”
Dias was born in Portugal and came to Ludlow in 1976 where she immediately began working.
“My first job real was with a bank so I worked in banking and the reason I got that job, I was 17 years old, was because I was Portuguese, and I spoke Portuguese and I was in Ludlow and because there is a large Portuguese population in Ludlow, I got that job.”
After working with the bank for eight years, Dias opened a Portuguese store called Ludlow Public Market and then a restaurant called Primavera which are both still operating with different owners.
“I have always been very involved in the Portuguese community,” Dias added.
After buying a house for herself, Dias discovered that she may be suited for the real estate business and became a realtor.
She soon decided to start her own real estate business.
“I became a realtor, and I really loved it and eventually I decided that I wanted to go out on my own because that is just who I am. I have been self employed since 1985. That is when I started my business Grace Group Realty for the last 11 years,” Dias said.
Dias also runs the Michael J. Dias Foundation in memory of her son, who died as a result of his drug addiction in 2009. To make a difference and move toward a drug-free community, Michael’s family created the foundation to help those in need.
“To me this is my greatest accomplishment. We have made a huge difference in peoples’ lives, and I am the most proud of that out of everything I have done,” Dias added.
The foundation offers three sober homes in Springfield and its mission is to aid and educate individuals and families on substance abuse and help those that are battling the disease of addiction.
Dias said you can check out more about the foundation and ways to help at www.mdiasfoundation.org.
Tavares was also born in Portugal and has been the owner of Villa Rose restaurant for the last 31 years.
He talked about how honored he was to receive this recognition.
Tavares said, “It was pretty exciting when I received that email, and I got that award in the mail. Coming from a country and starting a business here. To be where we are today, I can only thank all my customers that come through here day after day.”
Tavares also received the Super 60 award this year for his restaurant.
Tavares was 11 years old when he came to this country and was always interested in the restaurant industry.
“I was always interested in working in the kitchen, my passion was cooking so I started doing catering when I was 16 years old,” Tavares added.
After working at a restaurant in Chicopee for seven years, Tavares bought the Villa Rose restaurant when he was 25 years old.
He said that business has been going great since and credits his customers for the continued success.
“When the pandemic hit it was tough on all the businesses because there were so many different things. We were very fortunate to get a lot of support from our customers. We did a lot of takeout orders,” Tavares said.
He added, “Being here 31 years, I’ve created a lot of customers, made a lot of friends and hosted a lot of banquets with families over and over. I have been very fortunate of the people I have met in now these 31 years I have been here.”
With this edition of The Reminder coming out right before the end of December, Tavares wanted to leave everyone with a message.
He said, “I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and happy new year and a happy and safe new year and best of luck and good times in 2024.”