Credit: Nuestro Stories.
Whether it’s spices, food, traditions, or music, in our nation’s big cities, Latinos can easily find stores or a market selling the products we love. However, when it comes to small towns, the hunt for a can of Goya beans, for example, can become a challenge.
That’s where Entrepreneurs Marlene Valdez and José Jaramillo, founders of Orquídea Latin Market in Pittsburg, come in.
The Power of Latino Entrepreneurship
The Latino community has grown exponentially, along with them its businesses. Just before entering the new millennium, 75% of the businesses in California and Texas were Mexican-owned. In Florida, 70% were Cuban-owned.
Today, Pittsburgh is beginning to see this growth. 3.39% of the city’s population is Latino. A shining example of this is the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce which creates and supports business opportunities for Latinos.
Marlene and Jose, originally from Ecuador, opened a market to fill a void in the city.
Thus Orquídea Latin Market was born
The store is located on Old William Penn Road, open seven days a week to offer Latinos products from all over Latin America.
The Market offers a wide variety of spices, condiments, frozen foods, flat-leaf cacti, and much more. The most sought-after items are sweets and treats imported from Latin America.
Things to know before you go:
- The Jaramillo Valdez family spent most of their adult life in the United States, first in New York and then in Philadelphia, before moving to Pittsburgh.
- Orquidea Latin Market it’s the first Latino market in Monroeville.
- Nearly 240,000 Latinos live within Philadelphia County – about 15% of its inhabitants.
- Since 1980, the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Latin American Studies has organized its annual Latin American and Caribbean Festival.
Location: Monroeville. Pittsburg
Address: 4415 Old William Penn Hwy
