The Center's requalification and the restaurants that came with it

The Viva o Centro program offers tax incentives and public works, but the new restaurants are still, for the most part, a promise.

In December 2023, Governor João Azevêdo and Mayor Cícero Lucena launched Viva o Centro, a revitalization program for João Pessoa's Historic Center with about R$ 400 million in investments, according to Jornal da Paraíba. On the state side, there is the ICMS Patrimônio Cultural tax incentive, with up to R$ 1 million per restoration project and R$ 10 million per year, plus an ITCD exemption through 2026.

For merchants, the City Hall announced, in April 2025, a full exemption from IPTU and ITBI property taxes and a reduction of the ISS service tax from 5% to 2%, along with microcredit on special terms, training and job placement assistance. Planned works include the renovation of Praça Antenor Navarro, streets such as General Osório, and the Varadouro Integration Terminal, as well as the restoration of historic buildings, including the Hotel Globo and the Conventinho.

In terms of dining, what the press has documented so far are, above all, projects. A report by Polêmica Paraíba from March 22, 2026 mentions the Vila Galé hotel, which will occupy the former Colégio Diocesano Pio XII and will have a restaurant and bar, the conversion of a mansion on Rua Vigário Sarlen into a restaurant, and the city's plan for a dining hub, Rua dos Sabores, on Avenida General Osório. We did not find, in the sources consulted, a list of establishments that have opened because of the program, so this guide does not cite any.

There is also criticism. Polêmica Paraíba published a piece on the debate over who will have a place in the revitalized Center, with questions of housing, culture and social inclusion. For visitors, the advice is to follow City Hall news before counting on new venues for a dining itinerary.