Grassroots efforts sprout to support Lake Street businesses hurting as Latinos stay home

When Christina Power learned that long-established shops along Lake Street were hurting because Latino customers were frightened of escalating deportation efforts and staying home, she decided to help.

The Minneapolis real estate agent started buying her pasta, garlic, onions, rice and other staples at the Mexican American-owned Colonial Market and Restaurant on Lake Street.

She joined an activist block club and a dozen social media groups and now promotes favorites like the chilis and pepitas at Colonial Market, the pastries at Panaderia San Miguel, the tres leches at Pasteleria Gama and the mangoes at Alborada Market.

She loves buying the Minneapolis-made La Perla tortillas at Colonial Market so she “can support two immigrant-owned businesses at the same time.

Power is part of a small but growing movement trying to use buying power to help businesses — many owned by immigrants — as immigrants are staying closer to home. Organizers and stores estimate there are now more than 2,000 participants.

“We’ve been trying to be there. We’re being intentional,” Power said. “I’m white, and I feel really helpless a lot of the time against what’s happening on the national level. But this is one way that I can show up physically, with my presence and my dollars, to show my community members I believe they deserve to be here.”

Kristen Cooper, who raises funds for Cristo Rey Jesuit High School near Lake and 4th Av. S. in Minneapolis, recently bought 50 burritos for a student event from nearby Pineda Tacos “because we want to support our neighbors,” she said.

Her co-workers, she said, are also stepping up by buying goodies at panaderias, taquerias and other places near the school.

Some of the shops are owned by the parents of students, which makes their support all the more meaningful, Cooper said.

Half a mile away, a student at the Minneapolis Public Schools Center for Adult Learning recently told his English teacher how much nearby businesses were starting to suffer. In response, administrators bought taco lunches for the whole staff from a nearby restaurant to offer the school’s support and keep dollars rolling in the community.

Minnesota has 14,000 Latino-owned businesses, which pay more than $600 million in state and local taxes, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The Twin Cities has several well-known Spanish-speaking enclaves with hundreds of small businesses, including along Lake Street in Minneapolis, Central Avenue in Columbia Heights and Robert Street in St. Paul.

Longtime stalwarts along Lake Street like Mercado Central, El Taco Torro, Manny’s Tortas in Midtown Global Market have seen sales tumble by 40% to 50% since the Trump administration’s crackdown began on unauthorized immigrants. Staffers at El Burrito market and restaurant in St. Paul also report a recent drop in business.

Business owners lament that real and false rumors of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and police profiling have raised fears, prompting hundreds of regular Latino consumers to stay out of public view. Some have undocumented family members, and others are worried about being questioned by authorities or harassed by anti-immigrant bashers.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey now includes Cafeteria La Loma inside Mercado Central and the back-of-grocery cafe at Colonial Market as regular lunch spots. He held a news conference and rally on Lake Street last month to encourage neighbors, business owners and families to do their part.

“I don’t care what your background is. Go buy a taco. Go buy flowers. Go buy a new dress. Go support these incredible Latino-owned businesses that are in Minneapolis,” Frey said at the rally.

Former teacher and current Nokomis Rec Center volleyball ref Tom Holmes, 77, said he’s been hearing a lot about the mayor’s plea. So he recently made his way to Pineda Tacos at Lake and 4th for the third time in a week.

He thinks the campaign is “a good thing, especially since they have some of the best food in the city right here,” he said while picking up an order of rice and chicken for him and his son.

“This is probably as crowded as I’ve seen it,” Holmes said, looking around at the 10 customers there. He hopes more people come out to help it and other stores stay in business.

Down the street at Colonial Market, Daniel Hernandez said the fledgling campaign by non-immigrants has helped some.

The rally with Frey “was a great success,” he said. People from as far away as Duluth and Mankato were there and bought enough tacos, beans and groceries to cover payroll for the week.

“It was so busy, I didn’t have time to eat the whole day,” said a relieved Hernandez, who staked his house, life savings and about $2.5 million in loans to bring the store and restaurant to life in the former Aldi store at 2100 E. Lake St.

He hopes the support will continue.

This week, foot traffic was slower than in January and February, he said.

The slowdown is not happening at a great time. He has 25 workers to pay, and he plans to open a second mercado, with another 25 workers, next month. The second store will be in another former Aldi location, this time in north Minneapolis.

“Obviously we didn’t know the future. So, I’m going ahead with it all. I’m trying to see what can be done,” he said.

He noted that when the pandemic struck, he ran a grocery store on Nicollet Avenue that he has since closed.

“Obviously there is a huge difference. During the pandemic, the federal government, local government and everybody was trying to help you,” he said. “But this [political climate] has so impacted only Latino businesses. And basically there is no help.”

That’s why the grassroots community efforts are so important, he said.

The Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC), which finances about 1,000 businesses around the state, is making calls, checking in and polling its banking clients to see how they are doing. So far, at least 50 restaurants report a 50% decline in sales, said Alma Flores, the center’s executive director.

”These employers, these businesses, are fearful that they may need to shut down with the decline in sales,“ she said. ”They’re also reporting that employees are not coming to work if they happen to be Latino for fear of an [ICE] raid at one of those restaurants or wherever they work. So there’s some real fear there.”

To lend support, LEDC has taken to social media and its website.

“We are encouraging people of all walks of life to shop and eat at Latino-owned businesses and to shop locally every day,” Flores said.