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Los Pueblitos is a cozy shop in downtown San Antonio’s Market Square, filled with handcrafted goods from Mexico and other parts of Latin America. Tourists squeeze between displays in search of the perfect gift or souvenir from their trip to the Alamo City.
The store carries clothing, sterling silver jewelry, folk art, Talavera pottery and glassware, including margarita glasses.
Shoppers are also likely to encounter the shop’s owner, Edali Hernandez, an immigrant and self-made businesswoman who opened Los Pueblitos in 1994.
Hernandez plans to close the store and retire on Aug. 2.
Before telling Texas Public Radio the story behind Los Pueblitos, which means “small villages” in Spanish, she made sure to mention that the store is offering discounts of 50% or more before it closes.
Hernandez, who was born and raised in Mexico City, built a successful handicrafts business in Mexico while her husband, Luis, worked as a civil engineer. The couple later decided to start over in San Antonio.
Hernandez said they obtained green cards and eventually became U.S. citizens.
They recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
“This is the best country to come to, the United States, because you have the freedom to build your dreams,” Hernandez said. “If you have dreams, you can do it.”
Hernandez said the long path to citizenship was worth it.
She said their two daughters attended college and are now businesswomen.
Hernandez said she has loved selling items to tourists while supporting small-business owners in Mexico by purchasing their goods. She even offered some of them loans when they needed help so they could stay in business.
She said she also enjoyed taking chocolates on business trips to Mexico and handing them out to children. She particularly remembered one trip to Guadalajara.
“And I have a long line of kids trying to have one chocolate, but sometimes they are very smart and come back and come back,” she said. “And I said, ‘No, you already have had three.’ But it’s part of the fun.”
Hernandez said changing consumer shopping habits and declining business at Market Square played a role in her decision to retire. But she said she is leaving without bitterness, only gratitude.
Her fondest memories of the shop include annual employee Halloween costume contests in which customers voted for their favorites as they shopped.
She also remembers the Christmas tree and colorful decorations displayed during the holiday shopping season. The store sold hand-painted Christmas decorations from Mexico that were popular with tourists from around the world.
But Hernandez said her best memories come from watching women who worked for her have children and raise families.
She considers herself a grandmother to them all.
