“Sell us your great-grandfather’s business or we’ll force you to close.”

The historical and beloved liqueur stand “Ginjinha Sem Rival” opened its doors in 1890. Since then, it has always remained a family business, serving successive generations of Lisboners for over 130 years, earning its reputation as one of the two most well-known cherry liqueur (ginja) stands in downtown Lisbon, and its inclusion in the city’s directory of historical businesses.

In 2025, the hotel chain Europe Hotels International, which owns a hotel on the same building, began to pressure Nuno Gonçalves, the owner of the liqueur stand founded by his great-grandfather, to sell the store, under threat of being forced to close doors.

The line between opportunity and opportunism, between profit and profiteering, is often tenuous. Not in this instance. If you are a Portuguese citizen, or know someone who is, you can help by adding more names to the petition linked to below.