History
Where It
All Started
In 1944, Rosa Lopez Velasquez realized her dream of opening a small grocery
store. She located a business on the corner of 5th and Brush in West Oakland.
Rosa made all the necessary preparations including borrowing money from
her neighbors in order to have money in the cash register. There was one
small problem: her husband was not the budding business owner. She decided
to make a deal.
What's
In a Name?
A very good question and one we get asked often. In this case, it was
a deal. Rosa's entrepreneurial spirit was strong considering it was pre-1950.
In order to convince her husband to support her dream, she gave him the
opportunity to name the business. Sometimes in a marriage compromises
have to be made. Rosa and Adriano Velasquez were no exception.
La
Borinqueña Was Born
Adriano was an immigrant originally from the island of Puerto Rico. Natives
refer to their homeland as Borinquen. La Borinqueña is a female from Puerto
Rico. Ironically, Rosa was from Jalisco, Mexico and was raising her nine
children with the customs and foods from her native country. Her store
was no different; La Borinqueña was a true tienda mexicana. When asked
what items she carried from Puerto Rico, her reply was "gandules
y mi viejo," which translates into "pigeon peas and my old man."
La Borinqueña's humble beginnings did not last very long. Oakland was
changing and Rosa's store had to relocate. Change also brought expansion.
The
First Move
La Borinqueña moved to a large gray building on the corner of
7th and Castro. This proved to be an ideal set up for the family. The
second story of the building was once a boardinghouse and now became the
family's residence. Commuting to work was no problem--just take the stairs.
Rosa's vision was expanding: Prepared foods and Mexican sweet bread were
now regular items. Walking into the tienda, the familiar clapping sound
of women making handmade corn tortillas as well as the aroma of fresh
hot tamales and pan dulce filled the air. La Borinqueña was truly at home
amid a bustling residential neighborhood filled with families whose origins
were mainly from Mexico and Italy. Rosa kept her tienda open as long as
the sun was out; no watch was needed to know closing time. La Borinqueña
spent a happy 25 years on that corner. But change was on its way again.
The Dream Passed On
Rosa and Adriano decided their time as storekeepers had come to an end.
Yet, Rosa's dream deserved to live on. Rosa looked among her children
to find the future owners of La Borinqueña. Her daughter Natividad and
son-in-law Antonio seemed likely candidates. Nati worked well behind the
counter and Antonio was already a professional baker working in the tienda's
panaderia. Rosa and Adriano sold the business to Natividad and Antonio
Ramos. City planners had other ideas for La Borinqueña and the surrounding
neighborhood. Another move was in sight. La Borinqueña was in the way
of a new freeway overpass. The "old neighborhood" could now be referred
to as Old Oakland. Most of the residential area was being wiped out in
the name of progress. La Borinqueña continued proud and strong.
The Dream Part 3
The year was 1972 and La Borinqueña moved once again, but this time just
down the street. Our new location would be on 7th and Jefferson. The once
small store took over what were once five small storefronts. This tienda
mexicana included not just a grocery and bakery but a full hot food steam
table, dining area and tortilla factory. The family coined a new term
to better define what La Borinqueña was all about. La Borinqueña Mex-icatessen
came to be. A little bit of everything, just like a delicatessen, but
with a Mexican twist. Nati, Antonio, their five children, assorted relatives
and longtime employees have manned the counters over the years.
Construction continued surrounding the Mex-icatessen including a new courthouse
and city jail. The mid-90's brought a renewed interest in the downtown
area. The federal building, office buildings, and other small businesses
are increasing the flow of people into the area. La Borinqueña has seen
its share of good times as well as bad and weathered every storm including
El Niño. Now, we have the beginning of a new century to look forward to.
La Borinqueña Inc. into
the New Millennium
In 1997, the family decided to incorporate something new into our name
by doing just that, incorporating. Rosa's little store has become a corporation.
Natividad and Antonio joined by daughters Isabel Ramos Esquivil and Christina
Ramos as well as Isabel's husband Richard have joined forces to keep old
traditions and customs alive in an age of fast food and ever-changing
technology. So now you can still get traditional tamales, tortillas and
sweet bread and throw in a La Borinqueña Mex-icatessen t-shirt and pay
for all of it with your ATM card. How's that for progress! We look forward
to serving our second, third and even fourth generation customers as well
as the new customers who ask if we just opened. Please join us in the
continuation of Rosa's dream of running a store and we look forward to
serving you in the year 2000 and beyond.
--Christina Ramos
christina@tamalegirl.com
582 7th Street, Oakland,
California 94607
Phone: (510) 444-9954 Fax: (510) 444-1646
Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00am to 6:00pm, Saturday 9:00am to 6:00pm,
Closed Sunday
Tamalegirl.com©
is a division of La Borinqueña Mex-icatessen and Specialty Shop
Site designed by Renee
Esquivil