Document text
Photo by Bob Pennell Jesus Blanko, 1, and Rosalina Bulux, 8, check the meat case at La Tapatia, a grocery store and deli in Phoenix. Good things in a small space La Tapatia's size belies its variety of wares By WENDY SIPOREN PHOENIX -- White lacy communion dresses hang from the ceiling. Rows of cowboy boots line one wall and spill from boxes onto the floor. Jars of pickled cactus perch between pork skins and a small fruit called nance. BUSINESS CARD Company name : La Tapatia Service : Market catering to Hispanic community Location : 125 S. Main St., Phoenix Phone number : 535-4565 Hours : 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily Owners : Jose and Zenayda Bugarin; Antonio and Ester Silva There isn't much you can't find in this combination grocery store, market, butcher shop and Mexican restaurant all packed into one small building on Phoenix's southbound thoroughfare. There are two types of cotija cheese, Mexican brands of laundry soap and a snack called doritos that doesn't come in a bright-orange bag. From the street, there are few clues to the bounty inside -- only a sign saying "La Tapatia: fine jewelry, exotic spices, leather goods." But the store's low profile hasn't kept customers from packing the market every Friday and Saturday. Some come from as far away as Klamath Falls, Redding and Crescent City to stock up on food and goods not to be found at the local supermarket. "Obviously our customer base is Hispanic," said Jose Bugarin Jr., the son of owner Jose Bugarin. "We try to provide our customers with what they want so they can feel more at home." In the six years Bugarin has run the business he jointly owns with his wife, Zenayda, his brother-in-law Antonio Silva and Silva's wife, Ester, it has gradually become easier to buy the specialty foods his customers want. When possible he stocks fresh fruit and vegetables like tamarinds and cactus. If there's something a customer wants that he doesn't have, Bugarin will track it down. Because of its success, the business will expand early next year, adding 1,800 square feet of floor space and some off-street parking. "We want to better display (the goods) -- to provide our customers with more comfort and a friendlier atmosphere," said Bugarin. "We're barely fitting here." The remodel will also update the storefront and add some landscaping to fit with the city's new downtown plan. Before moving his family to the Rogue Valley, Bugarin worked as a supervisor in a metal plating company in Los Angeles for 24 years. "I'd been working for somebody else all my life," said Bugarin. "I wanted a change ... to see what I can do." He says he's glad he was able to get his two sons out of the big city. Jose Jr., 20, graduated from Southern Oregon University this summer with a business-chemistry major. Ceasar, 20, is studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. When the opportunity came to buy into his brother-in-law's 2-year-old market, Bugarin says he decided to "just take a shot." Now it's a family business and everyone puts in long hours. "That's the way we survive," said Bugarin. "That's my parents' work ethic," said the younger Bugarin. "Sometimes I have to bend their arms to go home." Bugarin says he builds customer loyalty by offering his goods with a smile and a friendly word. The commitment extends to store policy as well. They offer a pay-as-you-can layaway system and will cash checks with a purchase. For those who don't need a new leather jacket or a can of hominy, a reason to visit is the $1 tacos and four kinds of salsa offered at the restaurant tucked in the back of the store. Alfonso Hernandez moved his butcher shop and restaurant called La Unica to La Tapatia two and a half years ago. Some loyal customers who remember his food at El Rancho, in the Kmart plaza, have found their way to the new location. "It's by far the best Mexican food around," said former Ashland resident Chris Sturdevant, who made a special trip to La Unica during a recent visit from Texas. "I haven't found anything this good in Texas." Hernandez got his experience growing up in Mexico with a father who was a butcher and a mother who ran a restaurant. Recognizing a winning combination, Hernandez has continued the family tradition. "I've got steak in one hand (and a) taco in the other," he said with a grin. Bugarin says the shared space is mutually beneficial, and Hernandez agrees. "They can come in for groceries and at the same time eat some food," said Hernandez. "I think we help each other." Today's Business Index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA