LATINAS IN THE INDUSTRY GRISELDA GARCÍA: 26 years with stores in NY By Violeta Montes de Oca riselda García is their spending habits, purchasing a hard-working power and requirements, allowing and visionary her to determine if additional woman who services should be o昀昀ered to them. runs a Mexican “By having the customer, you can Grestaurant three sell them everything. It’s easier to blocks from Central Park on New sell them more, to expand your York’s Upper East Side: Dalila’s repertoire of merchandise or Food Market Inc. services you can offer them, as She comes from a matriarchy in opposed to finding a new one,” Puebla, Mexico. she said. In New York, they started El That’s why her store sells Tepeyac, a bodega-style store everything from meat, milk, and o昀昀ering Mexican products. Since tortillas to hot food. 吀栀ey even then, she and her four siblings prepare food for events, such as have generated 22 businesses, all parties. following the food line. “A lot of analysis causes paralysis, “I have worked in this sector so it’s better to be there and jump since 1998 and have witnessed the in,” she said. evolution and modernization of the No one regrets being brave, she way of doing business, as well as added, so she “took the plunge” and the growth of our community and her restaurant Dalila’s was born. its buying power,” said Garcia in an interview with Abasto. Griselda studied and practiced FROM BODEGA TO law in Mexico for two years, RESTAURANT although she has been a merchant El Tepeyac grew because a all her life. supermarket closed on the When she arrived in the United next block. States, she said her studies helped “We took another location to her understand the system and set make a butcher shop, we extended up her stores the hours at that time around here where we have been living OWN BRANDS: TEPEYAC HER TEACHER? forever. 吀栀e only home deliveries AND DALILA’S THE CUSTOMER that were made were of hot food. I - Tepeyac started as a bodega offering dairy, Griselda has years of experience said, why not do beer? Finally, there meat and beer with home delivery or internet in what she calls the noble is a high consumption,” she said. sales. It has also been a courier delivery point. profession of merchant. So, Griselda had a phone line just - Dalila’s Food Market Inc is a restaurant that One of her most valuable for those orders, but people also operates Monday through Sunday from 8:00 AM sources of knowledge has been wanted food. 吀栀e next opportunity? to 1:00 AM. her customers. She has a habit Men without a partner or family The menu includes tamales, huaraches, of questioning those who visit who miss traditional stews. empipianadas, burritos, chile relleno, tacos, nachos, her stores about their shopping “I’ve had to reinvent myself nopales salad and other traditional dishes. 吀栀ey even preferences, the products according to the circumstances. In o昀昀er vegetarian options, food prepared with blue they usually purchase, their the pandemic, the concept of food corn and desserts. And to go with it? Beer, salsas, origins, and where else they for sale over the Internet came up,” guacamole, tostadas and sides. shop. 吀栀is enables her to assess García said. 5454 MMAAYY//JJUUNNE 2E 200224 4 AABBAASSTOTO..CCOOMM