Open since the 1970s, Azores Cambridge Bakery has been owned and operated by the Couto family since 1990. CambridgeToday readers voted the beloved local bakery a Reader Favourite for 2024.
“To be recognized by the community is heartwarming. It’s important to us and lets us know that we’re on the right track to pleasing and serving our customers,” says general manager Jennifer Couto-Soares, whose father bought the business 34 years ago.
Azores is open daily and serves freshly made buns, breads, pastries, deli sandwiches, traditional Portuguese hot meals, and other beloved Portuguese classics like bifana sandwiches, Portuguese custard tarts (pastéis de nata), and more. They also sell a variety of Portuguese imported groceries.
The bifana and other deli sandwiches are definite favourites of customers, as well as their chicken, rice and potatoes. “You can’t really beat the taste and price,” Jennifer says, for the freshness and value that you receive at their lunch counter. The deli meats and cheese are cut in front of you, and the vegetables are chopped up that morning and the dressings are all made in-house too.
The bakery is well-known for its exceptional flavours and quality. One customer — as an Italian, who jokes that it hurts to admit this— wrote a review saying that he drives from Milton once a month to pick up food from Azores. “That’s how good it is!”
But in addition to the food, they are regularly complimented for their customer service. Jennifer and the staff treat their customers with warmth and friendliness, greeting them when they come in and remembering regulars. Jennifer wants them to have a good experience at Azores, because that’s what she sees as a real bakery experience. “A bakery is a different place, it’s special. It brings you back to your childhood,” she says.
“We like to build a family and a community in here with our staff and our customers. We want our customers to feel at home in our bakery. We love seeing our regulars,” she adds.
Jennifer was born and raised in Cambridge, and has enjoyed seeing it grow, change, and become more diverse. “But I think we still have a lot of small, hometown values mixed into that bigger city setting,” she says. Her favourite parts about running a small business are seeing and engaging with their regular customers, meeting new customers, and seeing their staff evolve and grow in their lives.
Jennifer and her hardworking staff appreciate all the Azores Cambridge Bakery customers who voted them a Reader Favourite this year.
“Your trust and loyalty mean the world to us, and we’ll continue to work hard to bring you the best products and service.”
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This article was sponsored by Azores Cambridge Bakery, a 2024 CambridgeToday Reader Favourite.