Lisbon mourns the death of Mário Pereira Gonçalves who left “a mark” on restoration – Sociedade
The Lisbon Chamber mourned the death of Mário Pereira Gonçalves, owner of the centenary Pastelaria Versailles, who died this Thursday at the age of 83, highlighting the businessman’s career in the capital, where he left “a mark” in catering and tourism.
“The death of Commander Mário Pereira Gonçalves is deeply saddening. He represented a generation that found Lisbon to be a city of opportunities, where it left its mark on catering and tourism”, said the mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas (PSD), in a publication on the social network Twitter.
The mayor recalled that Mário Pereira Gonçalves, partner of several establishments in the field of restoration and for almost four decades president of the Associação da Hotelaria, Restauração e Similares de Portugal (AHRESP), was honored by the Chamber of Lisbon in October, with the recognition of the Medal of Commercial Merit, a decision unanimously approved by the executive council three months earlier.
Born on August 6, 1939, in Porto Castanheiro, municipality of Arganil and district of Coimbra, Mário Pereira Gonçalves moved to Lisbon at the age of 13, to work in commerce.
“With strength, effort and an entrepreneurial spirit, he ends up becoming a successful entrepreneur, with multiple commercial initiatives, especially in the area of restaurants, always in Lisbon”, highlighted the City Council, in a note published on the municipality’s website .
Mário Pereira Gonçalves owned emblematic commercial establishments in the city of Lisbon, namely Pastelaria Versailles, which this year celebrated its 100th anniversary.
“He is recognized for the great contribution he made to the projection and prestige of Portuguese gastronomy, tourism and national commerce”, highlighted the municipality of Lisbon.
Among the functions he performed, Mário Pereira Gonçalves was chairman of the board of AHRESP, since 1983, for almost four decades, having ceased functions in 2022.
Throughout his professional career, the businessman received the Gold Medal of the National Union of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of France and the Medal of Honor of the International Confederation of Confectioners, Confectioners and Ice Cream Makers, according to information from the Lisbon Chamber.
Mário Pereira Gonçalves was also distinguished by the Portuguese Government, in 1998, with the Medal of Tourism Merit (Gold Degree), by the then Prime Minister, António Guterres, and received, in 2000, the degree of Comendador da Ordem do Mérito Empresarial (Class of Commercial Merit) by the then President of the Republic, Jorge Sampaio.
In a statement, AHRESP reported that “comendador Mário Pereira Gonçalves died today, Thursday, at the age of 83, leaving behind a unique legacy in the defense of restoration and tourism”.