It was in 1995 that Henrique Lago and José Gonçalves, owners of a cafeteria in the center of Arcos de Valdevez, decided to start a new adventure in the world of restaurants, taking over their first night space: o Bar do Rio, one of the oldest (or even the oldest) in that municipality.
Located in the remote parish of Aboim das Choças, it ended up not resisting time, but it was the Test drive ideal for the same society to found, in January 2001, a house that prevails until today, bringing together visitors from Valença to Ponte de Lima.
Two years as a bar and 18 years as a nightclub, this is the identity of Azenha Club, located a few meters from Praia da Valletta, on the banks of one of the purest rivers in Portugal: the Vez river.
Henrique Lago Pontes, or “just Lago”, 46 years old, as O MINHO identified himself, always had the pet of these amusement spaces, with music, a good mood, dancing and, of course, some drinks to liven up the night.
Henrique Lago visiting the statue of Freedy Mercury. Photo: Facebook from Lago Pontes
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After being in the organization of the Festival dos Arcos, in 2000 [considerado naquele ano o melhor festival de verão do país], decided to organize with the partner and found, at the start of 2001, a space “for all and for all”.
High times, he saw many, but he is convinced that “the greatest of all” will be this Saturday, when the space celebrates its 20th anniversary. “Everything has always gone very well over the years, with a large national audience and with our emigrant friends,” he says.
With an open house around the clock, during the summer, it opens “every day” at night, to enjoy the good weather, the fresh of the river and, of course, the coming of those who found a better life in a country other than Portugal.
Azenha Club in the summer. Photo: Luís Gonçalves
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Azenha Club in winter. Photo: Carlos Barbosa
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In a district plagued by demographic aging, where young people, a typical target audience for this type of home, are fewer, Lago unveils O MINHO the main secret for the business to make a profit every year.
“Publicity! We promote the house every day, even when we are not open, and when we are, we stayed with customers in order to ensure that they are having a good time ”, he says.
But Henrique Lago and José Gonçalves did not stop at basic advertising. From 13 years ago, during the month of July, a tour by several Portuguese associations and clubs in Paris, Bordeaux and Lausanne, where there is a strong implementation of the Portuguese community.
Azenha Club targeted by a Portuguese association in France. Photo: Facebook from Lago Pontes
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“We have parties there with our staff and present the poster for the month of August so that they can get to know the events we have scheduled”, he explains.
As a result of this visit, which guarantees not only the financial return in August but also an “enormous happiness” when they are received “abroad”, August is a month of full house in Azenha.
Netflix killed Fridays
Before there were “so many factories” in Arcos de Valdevez, the disco opened “Fridays and Saturdays” at night, says Lago. “Now we do not open on Friday because many are on shifts and cannot come,” he adds. “Two years ago we stopped opening on Friday”.
Nuno Araújo agrees, but only in part. The current manager, who started, precisely 13 years ago, as cup holders, today, at 31, he is the management’s confidence man and has another justification for the low turnout on Friday night.
“It’s social networks and the streaming… They killed Friday… It used to be different, people used to get together to talk, but now they talk on social media, they don’t even need to be together anymore ”, he says, pointing his finger at“Netflix“.
Nuno Araújo on the 19th anniversary of the Azenha Club. Photo: Facebook by Nuno Araújo
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“Others prefer to spend the evening at home rather than watching a series, calmly, and that was not so much in the past”, he adds.
Nuno also highlights another change, that of generations: “These new generations were born with social networks, but they are also more civilized. In the past there were more people but also more confusion ”, he recalls.
Vodka and Whiskey always on top. Gin became the third drink
Still on the differences over the last two decades, Nuno Araújo confides that, currently, Gin is one of the most requested drinks, but it was not always so. “In the past, a bottle of Gin lasted almost a year (laughs), but now it is fashionable”.
Vodka and Whiskey, however, have always been the two most consumed drinks in space, both in 2001 and in 2021, with Gin surpassing cognacs as the third “serving drink”.
What to expect from the birthday
The first 200 customers to enter the Azenha Club, next Saturday, receive a cocktail free. In addition, they will be able to observe a “special decoration”, in addition to having a bartender service (coming from Ponte de Lima) to do all kinds of cocktails.
To give music, two dj’s that “say a lot” to older generations of electronic music. Miguel Rendeiro is repeated. He was on the first anniversary of the space and now he returns to blow the twenty candles. Another of dj’s guests is a debut: XL Garcia, “Old guard”, as nicknamed Nuno.
They can still take the ride
Henrique Lago, from Aboim das Choças, is not tired of the nightlife. “I can still handle the ride,” he confides. Already Nuno, from the parish of Oliveira, not only claims to hold out but wants to be “at least another twenty years” managing the most emblematic night space in Arcos de Valdevez and surroundings.
How to get:
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