Larry Lemos keeps his family business going and growing strong By Cathy Cassata
W
ith thriving Dunkin’ Donuts stores and various awards under his belt, Larry Lemos credits his parents for much of his success. After emigrating from Portugal to Rhode Island in the 1970s, his parents, Antonio and Maria Lemos, worked for a Dunkin’ Donuts in Warwick, Rhode Island. “Joe Batista was the owner and he saw something in my Dad. He appreciated his hard work and dedication and offered him a partnership in the business,” says Larry. Antonio accepted, and the Lemos family went on to build stores with the Batista family. When Larry was four years old, the Lemos family moved to Connecticut to operate one of the stores on New Park Avenue in West Hartford. “My whole life I saw my parents sacrifice. I’d hear them coming down the stairs at 2 a.m. to go to work; my mom would make coffee and my dad would bake. Then they’d come home exhausted yet still able to take care of our family,” Larry remembers. From a young age Larry wanted to go to work with his parents. “I saw their passion for what they did. They taught me that if you want something, you have to go after it, work hard, keep moving forward in everything you do.” Larry Lemos’ story is familiar to that of many second generation Dunkin’ Donuts franchisees. Recognizing that hard work can pay off, the younger Lemos followed their lead. His parents bought out the partnership from the Batista family, and throughout the years subleased the properties to other franchisees. Over time, Larry operated the business and at the age of 22 became a franchisee. “When my parents were ready to retire, I bought into the business and continued to grow the business,” Larry says. In the early days of Dunkin’ Donuts operators like Antonio and Maria focused on baking donuts and working the counter. But, as second generation operators like Larry started taking over, they looked at new opportunities to take a Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant and use it as part of a larger commercial development. In Larry Lemos’ case, that shop on Larry and Sonia Lemos New Park Avenue in West Hartford afforded the opportunity to buy the property next door and build a strip center with a 3,000 square foot Dunkin’ Donuts that included a drive-thru. Newly married, Larry and his wife Sonia created Lemos Properties and learned what it takes to design a building, lease the space and manage the property. That was in 2002.
INDEPENDENT JOE • APRIL 2014 15