POULSBO — Sabor de Mexico is truly proof of the old saying the necessity is the mother of invention.
Tired of driving all the way to Tacoma to find the Mexican grocery staples they needed, Megan Navarro and Juana Gonzales had a stroke of genius.
And Sabor de Mexico was born.
“There isn’t anything like this out here,” Navarro commented of the Mexican specialty grocery that opened five months ago near the corner of State Route 305 and Hostmark Street.
The small store is the first business venture for both Navarro and Gonzales. Both are North Kitsap High School graduates and Gonzales is Navarro and her husband Jorge’s madrina, a Mexican wedding attendant sort of like a godmother for their marriage. Navarro said the two had talked about opening a Mexican food store for years and recently decided to just take the plunge.
“It’s hard, really hard, but it’s well worth it,” Navarro said of opening the grocery.
The small storefront features Mexican food, accessories and cleaning products like: belts, blankets, shoes and home decor; locally made Mexican sweet bread called can; chorizo and other meats; phone cards; a large spice inventory ranging from oregano and curry powder to tamrind and ancho; and even Spanish-language CDs and movies to rent or buy.
Products come from sources in Mexico, as well as importers in California and the Seattle area. Navarro said first finding her suppliers was quite a feat.
“A lot of places didn’t want to deliver out here because we live in the middle of nowhere,” she commented. “A lot of the stuff, I have to meet them halfway to pick it up or go there and get it myself.”
But don’t let the name fool you. While the area’s Hispanic community can get its hard-to-find imports at Sabor de Mexico, the store also carries a number of American grocery items. Shoppers can find items like milk, pasta and pasta sauces, canned vegetables, cereal and snacks. Navarro said with the March closure of Poulsbo Market just up the street, Sabor de Mexico wanted to provide a nearby alternative for car-less neighbors who had previously walked to the market.
“It’s been great,” Navarro commented. “The Americans love it as much as the Hispanics do.”
But besides groceries and treats, the store also offers a place to sit and socialize. Patterning their store after the typical corner markets found in Mexico, Sabor de Mexico has a free foosball table, a television permanently set to Spanish-language shows and a small seating area for customers.
“The way it traditionally is in Mexico, you have a store but it’s more open and you can sit and watch the novellas (Mexican soap operas) or football and foosball is really big down there,” Navarro said. “It’s a place for families.”
During the day, the store can be pretty quiet, but as soon as school and work starts to get out, the place starts hopping. Navarro said she’s had customers come in from various points in North Kitsap and from as far away as Port Townsend and Port Angeles.
“We’ve got these guys who come in and have their foosball tournaments, which is nice because it brings people in,” Navarro said.
Eventually, the Sabor de Mexico owners would also like to add a carnicería, or butcher shop.
