Tropical Supermarket & Kitchen Opens In La Villa Hispana

Sometimes, you just need an alcapurria at 7:00AM. Cue Tropical Supermarket and Kitchen, at 2103 Clark Avenue. Nestled between W. 25th Street and Scranton Road, near San Miguel Arcángel, the establishment has quickly become a neighborhood staple.

The store offers traditional Puerto Rican eats, like mofongo, arroz con gandules, rellenos de papa, pastelitos, and bacalaítos, along with harder to find pantry, household, and personal care items, like Para Mi Bebe Chamomile Shampoo and Splash Cologne. Many of the products come directly from the island.

First opening in Parma during the pandemic, the store relocated to Clark Avenue to be closer to the heart of the burgeoning La Villa Hispana cultural district. “It was doing ok in Parma,” says owner Jennifer Quiñones, “but the Cleveland population was looking at it as a once-a-month visit. People here look at it as a daily visit because they have to come and get their bread, and their frituras. Some people come walking.”

Among Jennifer’s favorite customers are the abuelitas from the Hispanic Senior Center, located just a block away. While the store portion of the operation moved to Cleveland in 2022, later expanding to include the kitchen. Jennifer continues to maintain a strong presence in Parma, at Empanadas Latin Street Food, 5543 Ridge Road - the city’s first Puerto Rican restaurant.

Defying the bounds of geography, Empanadas on Wheels, the establishment’s food truck, can be found throughout the greater Cleveland area. From the Tremont Farmers Market to Walnut Wednesdays, and the Lakewood and Beachwood Truck Parks. Jennifer, and her husband Alberto Quiñones, exude the entrepreneurial spirit of the American dream.

Jennifer, a military brat born in Germany, was raised in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. After more than a decade of public service with the Defense Finance Accounting Service, or DFAS, she took a faithful leap from bureaucrat to self-employed small business owner.

Jennifer y Alberto en El Tropical

Alberto hails from Guanica. The artwork inside and outside the building exemplifies their roots. “San Juan isn’t all there is to Puerto Rico”, said Jennifer. “We wanted something to represent where we are from.” A mural of the flag of Guanica captures the eye upon entering the store and draws patrons into the space. El Morro welcomes visitors from the exterior.

To customers unfamiliar with what an empanada is, Jennifer describes them as “the Hispanic version of a pierogi.” Whether you call them an empanada or a pastelillo, you’re sure to find something to excite your taste buds at Tropical Supermarket and Kitchen, open seven days a week.