THE BUSINESS
Wendell, owner of Tudo Sabor Brasil, offers diverse influences in the Brazilian food he creates. He credits this mix of elements from European, African, Lebanese, and Portuguese cultures in creating the high quality of his flavors. He holds degrees in nursing and massage therapy, but cooking is his passion. “I started cooking when I was seven years old and it feels like magic,” he said. The passion he has for both the taste and presentation of his food is truly evident.
Listen to Wendell describe his own passion and his delight in others enjoying his food
He created the name Todu Sabor Brasil when he was living in Spain in 2008. “I created a Facebook page with this name which translates to ‘All Brazilian Flavor’ and suddenly I had all kinds of orders from people interested in my Brazilian foods.”
In 2016, he began selling at farmers markets in Wisconsin, and Wendell said, “I remember so clearly setting up my first tent to sell these Brazilian foods. The environments at the farmers markets are the best. When I began, I spoke no English, so I made friends and learned a lot, including improving my English language skills.”
He grew the business to selling at up to twelve markets per week, but he knew that was not sustainable. Now, he focuses on the Greenfield Farmers Market. He said, “I will never stop being part of the City of Greenfield Farmers Market. I am there every Sunday. The customers are so loyal and I have developed some great relationships. They are like friends to me; the customers now come to me at the Greenfield market instead of me trying to attend twelve different markets.” He has even taken his unique recipes to events in Chicago and Naperville, Illinois.
THE ASSISTANCE
One of the relationships he developed was with Amy Narr, a consultant at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at UW-Milwaukee. “Amy is the most lovely person,” Wendell said. “She speaks Spanish, which was wonderful. She explained the process behind some of the logistics of opening a business. She helped me with a business plan, with loan applications, with everything!”
Wendell shares his thanks to the Small Business Development Center
With her assistance, he applied for both a Kiva crowdfunded loan and another loan offered by the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC) , and he was awarded both. “The SBDC really does beautiful work,” Wendell said. “It is so nice that they offer at no cost the small business consulting and services that others charge lots of money for.”
When asked about advice he would give to other aspiring entrepreneurs, he said, “It is so important to know the legal process and to stay organized. Keep all the paperwork! I really didn’t know how much paperwork and documentation my business required until I needed it to apply for a loan.”
Accomplishments with SBDC at UW-Milwaulee
- Capital access applications
- Financial projections
- Business plan
- Business strategy
THE OBSTACLES
Like most small business owners, he experienced bumps along the way to success. “There were a few moments when I was about to give up, and Amy really encouraged me, reminding me that this was my dream and I was ready for this,“ Wendell said.
Listen to Wendell describe Amy’s encouragement when he needed it most
“One challenge I had was that I really had to educate people about what my food was, which was difficult due to the language barrier. It was also hard financially at times because the farmers markets are only seasonal. I really had to save to make ends meet and to try to grow the business.”
Another obstacle he faced was physical ailment in his kidneys and extreme troubles with his vision. “In 2020, I really struggled. Finally, some blood tests helped me determine my body could not tolerate sugar or gluten. So, I changed all my recipes!”
He was worried how the changes to his offerings would affect business, and to his delight, it led to even more growth. All of his recipes now have no added sugar and no gluten. “My customers are so grateful!”
Wendell enjoys giving back to the community that has given him so much. “My heart really asked me to help others during the recent Milwaukee flooding. I simply put a post on Facebook telling people if they were in need of food, I was happy to provide them with frozen meals. It was my way to say thank you and my way to do what is fair.”
“It is also hard to employ others as their commitment is simply not the same as mine,” he said. “I find myself cooking for about 6,000 people by myself sometimes. I hope to hire help when I open a physical location in South Milwaukee.”
Wendell is currently looking for his own physical space for the business. “I love having shared commercial kitchen space, but I find myself needing more space to meet all my customers’ needs.” He is hoping to create space for take-out orders first, and in the future have a café with dine-in space. Best wishes to this passionate entrepreneur on all his future endeavors.
View story videos linked below
Listen to Wendell describe his own passion and his delight in others enjoying his food
Wendell shares his thanks to the Small Business Development Center
Listen to Wendell describe Amy’s encouragement when he needed it most
Published December 2025