Related videos:
The aroma of freshly brewed Cuban coffee, guava pastries, crispy bread, and fresh cassava is no longer a luxury reserved for a trip to Miami. In South Florida, more and more Cubans are discovering those flavors just minutes from home, thanks to the rise of Hispanic supermarkets, which have become genuine meeting points for the immigrant community.
The phenomenon is especially noticeable in Palm Beach County, where chains like Presidente Supermarkets, El Bodegón, Tapatía, and Bravo Supermarkets total nearly 30 establishments, a presence that is already rivaling that of Publix, the largest supermarket chain in Florida, in that area, reported .
Many of these businesses occupy former Winn-Dixie and Bealls locations in cities like West Palm Beach, Greenacres, and Lake Worth Beach, transforming empty retail spaces into markets where customers find products from Cuba, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Venezuela, Haiti, and other Latin American countries.
Much more than just grocery shopping
The success of these supermarkets does not solely lie in their food offerings.
As you cross the threshold, the aroma of sautéed vegetables and freshly brewed coffee welcomes customers. The butcher shops cut meat according to the recipe that each family wishes to prepare; the bakeries offer traditional sweets; the cafés serve full lunches starting at $9.99, and some establishments even feature florists, agencies for sending remittances, or package shipping services abroad.
For many immigrants, the visit represents a reunion with the flavors and customs they left behind.
"A Latin supermarket is more than just a retail anchor. It is the heart of the neighborhood. It is a gathering place for the community," explained Suzanne Hollander, a professor at Florida International University (FIU), who has studied these types of establishments in Latin America and the United States for years.
A piece of Cuba in Florida
For the Cuban community, the largest in the state with around 1.8 million residents, these businesses hold a special significance.
Presidente Supermarkets, founded in 1990 by Cuban-American entrepreneur Omar Rodríguez, was created with the specific idea of providing immigrants with the products they missed from their home countries.
It currently operates more than 50 stores between Miami and Orlando, nine of which are in Palm Beach County.
Ariel Martínez, an executive of the company and a native of Cuba, believes that these markets help preserve the cultural identity of families.
"When we migrate, we want to feel proud of who we are. We seek the products and services that we grew up with in our country," he stated.
According to Martínez, many parents also take advantage of these spaces to pass on their traditions to their children born in the United States.
"We see how parents feel nostalgic for what they experienced in their country. They come to Presidente and can pass on those traditions to their children and the new generations," he noted.
Shops that change according to the neighborhood
Another key to the growth of these chains is their ability to adapt to each community.
The inventory varies according to the profile of the neighbors: Venezuelan cheeses, Jamaican fish, Haitian spices, or Mexican nopales take up more space depending on the demographic composition of each area.
"It is not a corporate experience. It is a community experience," summarized Hollander.
The rise of these supermarkets coincides with the growth of the Hispanic population in Palm Beach County, where Latinos now make up a quarter of the residents and represent the fastest-growing demographic group.
This growth also has a significant economic impact. Between 2018 and 2023, Latinos contributed more than $396 billion to Florida's economy, accounting for approximately 30% of the state's economic growth during that time period.
Although the rise in real estate prices represents the main challenge for continuing to open stores, business leaders in the sector believe that there are still opportunities to occupy the spaces left vacant by former retail chains.
"The population of Florida continues to grow," affirmed Jesús Gamarra, co-founder of Tapatía Supermarkets. "We hope to keep expanding to bring that Latin warmth to more communities in Palm Beach County."
Filed under: