El Potrero Market: Planting the Seeds of Community

El Potrero Market’s slogan is “Tradición, calidad y sabor en cada rincón,” or “Tradition, quality and flavor in every corner.” From the moment you step inside, you’re hit with the aroma of fresh spices mixed with the comforting smell of freshly baked pan dulce. You hear “El Noa Noa” by Juan Gabriel on the speakers as you make your way through the store. Each shelf and counter is filled with fresh produce and meats. On your way out, you take a La Michoacana Plus popsicle as a treat. It’s like a little piece of Mexico in your backyard.

El Potrero Market was a longtime dream of Àngel and Marcela Juarez. Àngel came to the United States at 15 years old and immediately got to work, starting by selling fruits out of a shopping cart. Over time, their business grew into not just one, but two successful grocery stores in Midvale and Kearns that are now staples for many Latin American families. El Potrero Market would not be what it is without the leadership of Àngel and his four children, Omar, Sharay, Joanna and Alan, all of whom work together to make El Potrero a place where a community can grow.

“My main priority is to help families in need. [To] help underdeveloped cities get these services, these products to their table.”

El Potrero Market distinguishes itself by making you feel like part of a family. “We have customers that are still around from the beginning,” Àngel says. “Now their kids have their own families, and

they shop with us.” From greeting customers to helping struggling families, El Potrero keeps people coming back. Sharay once noticed that a frequent customer needed a new stroller for her child, so she and her mother Marcela surprised her with a brand-new one. To this day, that customer has continued to shop there, and the Juarez family has seen the child grow up, too. “It’s a beautiful thing when you have a [family-owned] business and you can help other families,” Sharay says.

As the community has grown, so has the variety of products El Potrero provides. El Potrero went from a place that catered to Mexican families to a place that serves immigrants from all over Latin America — now carrying brands from Colombia, El Salvador and more. They even opened up a second location in Kearns in 2015 because so many customers were making long drives up to Midvale just to buy from them. It was that loyalty that inspired them to go for it.

Even in difficult times, El Potrero is no pushover. On February 3, El Potrero was one of the few Mexican-owned businesses to participate in the “Day Without Immigrants” boycott, closing both stores for the day in protest against anti-immigration policies.

“We never hesitated in that aspect of standing with our community,” Sharay says. “So we took on that initiative.” Àngel adds, “I felt like I was part of a good thing because nobody wants their family separated.”

“We have customers that are still around from the beginning. Now their kids have their own families, and they shop with us.”

The family plans to provide more services in the future. One project they have in mind is bringing workshops to high schoolers to teach them about building a business. “I am so grateful that I now have the ability to employ people from different countries and give them work,” Àngel says about El Potrero’s 45 employees. The Juarez family is also making plans to open a third location. “My main priority is to help families in need,” says Alan, Àngel’s son. “[To] help underdeveloped cities get these services, these products to their table.”

El Potrero Market is a hub of culture, tradition and community, where customers are valued and everything is done with intention. Àngel’s motto is “If you do it with love, you will get good results.” He reminds us that “without community, El Potrero would not exist.” Check out their Midvale and Kearns locations yourself, or learn more at elpotreromarkets.com and @elpotreromarkets on Instagram.

Read more interviews with local leaders in the food community:
Lavanya Mahate: Building a Compassionate Culinary Community
How Chef Peggi Ince-Whiting Brought Sushi Home