São Paulo – One of the most well-known dishes of Morocco’s cuisine, couscous has been the base of foods served by Ana Felipe Ferreira since 2016. She now runs Marroquina Couscous, a service that delivers different versions of the dish. The brand was born and keeps delivering food in São Paulo.
At the beginning of the business, born from an idea by Silvia Brunello, they worked together in shows and events. “She has always liked to cook, and so have I. Marroquina started as a food bike, and after six months I became a partner. Then we secured a spot at the Insper college, where we stayed for three years, before the pandemic started,” Ferreira told ANBA.
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Although they are not Arab descendants, they found in the Moroccan cuisine a chance to develop their own versions. “The choice for Moroccan couscous was because it is very simple and versatile. It is easy to make and rehydrate. What we add are dried fruit, ham, cheese, mushrooms. And hardly any thing is wasted, as we assembled everything on the spot,” Ferreira said.
The dishes of the brand are always served warm, and the Brazilians have added different flavors to the couscous. “We tried out a blend of Indian and Italian spices, as Brunello is an Italian descendant, and we really like it. Prosciutto, cheese. It’s easy and very delicious. The taste is unique,” she said.
Solo flight and delivery
While initially the focus was participating in events, their spot at Insper became the core of the business. “After aone or two years into business, I started thinking about putting it on iFood to offer a delivery service all week,” Ferreira recalls.
This came in a good time, as the pandemic ushered in the need for delivery services as the brick-and-mortar location at Insper closed. Also around this time, in late 2020, Brunello left the company, and Ferreira took over Marroquina completely.
The changes were seen in the menu. The entrepreneur added new items like a Moroccan dish. “Chicken tagine was based on the Moroccan seasoning. We created this dish during the pandemic to include in the delivery service. It fit well with couscous, then I invented other sauce chickens like the one with the citrus sauce, which I really like making and is very good,” she explained, pointing out that some dishes like shrimp bobo have also been added to the menu.
While continuing her studies online, the entrepreneur gets feedback from her clients. “We keep catering to events. We’ve worked in venues like Jardim Secreto, Mercado das Madalenas, and so many others. Since we offer a unique type of food, we’re called often because of this diversity,” she revealed.
Having a brick-and-mortar location for Marroquina Couscous, but she plans on regaining her breath with the company before taking this next step. “I haven’t laid out [any plan] yet, because being alone is hard. I do everything by myself, from shopping to administration, operations, cleaning. My mother helps me, but in order to grow I need to have someone by my side and carry out a more strategic plan,” she said.
Quick facts
Marroquina Couscous
Deliveries from Monday through Friday
Orders via WhatsApp: +55 11 98346-4776
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
