Hopewell: J&A Latino Market and Restaurant grand opening, enjoy small bites, refreshments

HOPEWELL — You are invited to J&A Latino Market and Restaurant's grand opening to celebrate their new space at 226 E. Poythress Street. Owners Jennifer Toledo, Anel Toledo and Jose Samuel Ordonez will offer small bites and refreshments open house-style to their guests. The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on Wednesday, May 15 at 5:30 p.m. Hopewell Downtown Partnership, the Hopewell-Prince George Chamber of Commerce and Hopewell City Staff will be present at the celebration.

J&A Latino Market and Restaurant, a family-owned and operated business, first began in 2020 at 2320 Oaklawn Boulevard. The new location in the former NAPA Auto Parts building was purchased in September 2023. The building received quite a facelift with facade improvements and a new paint job. The interior is spotless and boasts aisle after aisle of household necessities and unique items from popular Central American snacks, baked goods and beverages to fruit popsicles and fresh produce.

Inside you will also find a sit-down lunch and dinner restaurant that is quickly growing in popularity as the news of pupusas and tacos spreads. Order at the counter, and then grab a seat near their colorful, hand-painted, wall mural that features the national flags of Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador.

Funny story... I spotted the J&A Latino Market and Restaurant in Hopewell recently as I took photos downtown of the area being transformed into Virginia Beach for the Pharrell Williams musical. At first, I thought it may have been part of the set. Then, I remembered the business had a location near Randolph Market. I did some digging and discovered they had relocated.

I popped in there yesterday to give it a whirl. The soup I spotted on a table looked mighty tasty, so I ordered it. The broth, perfectly seasoned, was delicious, and the beef was as tender as love. The potato halves and carrot chunks easily cut with a spoon. I will definitely order it again.

"Our shop employees eat here all the time. I've eaten just about everything on the menu. It's all good," Jeffrey Morris, owner of Morris Codings located across the street, said. The baleadas, a traditional Central American dish, made with handmade flour tortillas, beans, sour cream, cheese and scrambled eggs are Morris's favorite.

J&A Latino Market and Restaurant fan Matthew Henry often orders tacos made with lengua which is cow tongue. "The speed in which 'real' food being prepared is what one would expect. It is fresh and made to order. You can call in advance for their fried chicken," Henry shared.

As I enjoyed my lunch, Anel Toledo stayed busy ringing up to-go and dine-in orders as well as market purchases. She also received a shipment of merchandise. According to her, the top three requested menu items are burritos, tacos and pupusas which are handmade corn tortillas stuffed with cheese or pork and cheese served with pickled cabbage and tomato sauce.

"Our great new location has been well received. It offers more space and parking. We appreciate city employees and police officers who support us," Anel Toledo of Hopewell said. "We're trying to bring in more products from Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras."

The J&A staff are excited and can't wait to greet guests and visit with relatives from El Salvador who plan to attend the ceremony. The Hopewell business is open daily from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. On the menu, items ranged in price from $2.99 - $12.99. Keep up-to-date on their offerings and menu items on Facebook at J&A Latino Market and Restaurant or call 804-352-5511.

“J&A is excited to bring strong customer service, quality products and authentic menu items to the community," Jennifer Toledo of Chester said. "Come visit us. We look forward to welcoming you all."

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Kristi K. Higgins aka The Social Butterfly, an award-winning columnist, is the trending topics and food Q&A reporter at The Progress-Index voted the 2022 Tri-Cities Best of the Best Social Media Personality. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Contact Kristi (she, her) at khiggins@progress-index.com, follow @KHiggins_PI on X and @socialbutterflykristi on Instagram.

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This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Hopewell: J&A Latino Market and Restaurant grand opening celebration