Dominican Groceries, a mini market, was founded by Fernando de Los Santos in 2019, in Anchorage. Since then, it has grown and increased the variety of products it offers. However, Don Fernando decided to retire to Florida and, in 2022, his daughter Yerika Almonte bought the store from him taking over as the new owner along with her husband Daniel Ortiz, who is the store manager.
Yerika says that “the work is 24/7, but there is nothing better than being your own boss. I am always learning and my husband, who already had experience working in supermarkets, is key in this business.”
This Latino supermarket is known for its good customer service, pleasant smile and good quality products. “We care about having everything organized and clean. We offer more than 500 products to our Latino and Caribbean consumers. We have clients who come from Fairbanks and other towns in Alaska, including many of them military personnel of Hispanic origin. It is well known that Latinos like to prepare their traditional foods,” said Daniel.
The list of products varies in sweet and savory flavors. In the area of seasonal fruits and vegetables there is Caribbean mango, quenepa, sapote; in addition to banana, yuca, avocado, malanga, etc. There is frozen fruit pulp such as Lilo, Mamey, and Guava. People who like sweets find arequipe, wafers, milk candy with guava or coconut, which are very popular. Empanada dough cannot be missing since people from different cultures look for it.They have Kikuet, pizza empanadillas and empanadilla (turnover) shells. Sofrito is another basic product that sells a lot.
On the other hand, there is a great variety of snacks from Colombia, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Cod, salami, fried cheese, cookies and so on, an endless number of foods that fulfill their mission delighting the palates of Hispanics in La Última Frontera.
Yerika and Daniel are Dominicans and arrived from Florida in 2016. They have a daughter, Sophia, who also helps at the store. “On November 15th we will celebrate 2 years serving the Latino and Caribbean community and we are pleased to provide unique and quality service. Our prices are within reach of our target group,” said Daniel. Dominican Groceries is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. It is located at 1178 Gambell Street.
