Documentary

Joya Supermarket      

Located near Walmart, Target, and Trader Joe’s, Joya Supermarket might seem overshadowed by its larger neighbors. However, heading inside Joya Supermarket you can feel welcomed straight away. The cashiers as well as the rest of the employees treat you as family, with such warmth that they make the environment feel like home. 

Even though the community has a choice to go to any other stores in the area they constantly decide to go to Joya Supermarket because they know how they are being treated in the store is not the same way they are being treated in  Walmart or Target where workers don’t greet you or treat you with familiarity. The customers can see the difference, and because they see the way they are treated at Joya, they also support the store. They also help Joya Supermarket by being  good and loyal customers.  

Joya Supermarket isn’t just a place to buy groceries; it’s a cultural community center that thrives because of the warmth it gives to customers. By providing affordable, high-quality ethnic foods and exceptional service, Joya sustains the community it has created. 

Chapter 1: Affordable Pricing 

Joya Supermarket provides affordable, high-quality ethnic products that are crucial to the community in order to preserve cultural traditions without needing to spend a lot of money. This can be found across ethnic communities where local affordable stores serve their communities and preserve traditions. Moran highlights it in his article “A Taste of Home: How Ethnic Grocery Stores Create Community”, “While her work has spanned the country, Chen singled out one place, called La Palma, a so-called “Mexicatessen” in San Francisco’s Mission District, where she said the owner worries about his store’s future in the current economic climate. She noted if La Palma closes, a cultural gathering place will go with it” (Moran). This demonstrates that beyond the cost effectiveness it’s more about how you help your community with their economic prosperity. The way a business helps their community by giving a good cost helps in the sense that the customer will come back for that service again. When  customers receive good quality service, products and good pricing, they will give back to the establishment. All these special elements that surround the establishment are reasons for the customer to go back to the place they felt welcomed and well served. On the other hand,  the economic sustainability is up to the owner but if the business starts going in the wrong direction then “a cultural gathering place will go with it” including the community which is the last thing you’d want because a place like Joya Supermarket brings people together. 

Furthermore, the owner of Joya Supermarket, Gustavo Rueda, states, “With low prices, we have very good prices, and that helps us keep the people who help us, the workers we have, because people support us. Because of the prices we have, it’s not easy to compete with Walmart and Target, but we have prices, we have very good products, and that makes the difference.” This shows that with low prices the store is capable of maintaining their community, they will keep supporting the store that way. Even though “it’s not easy to compete with Walmart and Target”, Rueda argues  that “we have prices, we have very good products, and that makes the difference.” Not only that but they have “people who help us, the workers we have, because people support us”, Joya has the advantage of the support they get from their community based on the service on their “good prices”.

In addition, the cashier and manager of Joya Supermarket, Maria Guadalupe and Gildardo Lara, claim, “Because other stores, unlike Joya Market, don’t carry products from other countries. Our prices are based on only a small percentage increase to cover employee prices, and what amounts to electricity and rent, without adding as high a percentage as other stores” (Lara). This demonstrates the way the Joya Supermarket tries to help its community. By making their prices a small percentage increase to cover employee prices, and what amounts to electricity and rent, without adding as high a percentage as other stores. In other words, Joya market just adds the minimum percentage of the price for a little profit which is used to give back to their employees and the rent. 

Chapter 2: Creating Connections with the Customer 

Joya Supermarket’s impact goes beyond their shelves; the store connects with people and creates a community space where relationships are formed. Joya is a space where culture is shared and where customers  feel seen. This is found in local stores that connect people and create a special bond that is formed through shared meals. In other words, “There’s something special about the bond that forms when we share our favorite meals. Local food trucks, catered events, or popups often become community hotspots, places where people gather, exchange stories, and create memories. They foster a sense of belonging, making our communities feel more like extended families” (“How Good Food Makes a Strong Community”).  This shows that an important factor is in the moment the worker creates a bond with the client. It senses respect for one another but more than that it’s a connection that they form by making the client be seen, heard and welcomed. The store but most importantly the workers foster a sense of belonging, making their communities feel more like extended families. So at that point the dynamics change: no longer do two strangers need to socialize in order to give and receive something; rather, at Joya, they bond.

According to Maria Guadalupe and Gildardo Lara, “Because, we have products that our Hispanic countries look for, and that aren’t as easy to find in other stores” (Lara). This illustrates that due to the employees speaking the same language as most of their customers it makes them create connections with the customer. Having products that their Hispanic countries look for, and that aren’t as easy to find in other stores brings people together. Not having several places to find the products they need that remind them of home makes customers reach out to Joya Supermarket and find a familiar environment that makes them feel welcomed. 

The increase in immigrant populations impacts how Joya Supermarket creates connections to the ethnic communities by how they are able to bring their cultural traditions to their local communities. In “USE Ethnic Food Market Outlook to 2028”, Bisht points out “The United States has seen a substantial increase in immigrant populations, with over 47.9 million foreign-born residents recorded in 2022, as per the U.S. Census Bureau. This growing cultural diversity has been a major driver of the ethnic food market, as immigrants bring their culinary traditions to local communities. Additionally, the U.S. Department of State that the immigrants received lawful permanent resident status in 2023, further contributing to the spread and demand for authentic ethnic foods nationwide” (Bisht). This demonstrates that an increase in immigrant populations causes growth in cultural diversity. More onto that topic, it has been a key factor of the ethnic food market. In other words, the increase of immigrant population caused the need for ethnic food markets, which also caused immigrants to bring their culinary traditions to local communities. Due to immigrants they have a further contribution to the spread and demand for authentic ethnic food nationwide. So for people that need to create cultural dishes in order to connect with their culture they need products and ingredients that can’t be found in any store but in places like Joya offers those products that cause to build a community connection through the cultural dishes, products and ingredients. 

Chapter 3: The Larger Community 

Beyond the impact it creates with their affordability and connections to the customers, Joya Supermarket benefits the larger Mountain View community. Joya has created a larger community and is an important element especially to Hispanic and immigrant communities. This can be detected in large communities that are created in ethnic groceries that are important elements mainly in hispanic population. Chen emphasizes it in his article “How Ethnic Grocery Stores Keep Their Communities Going”, “As much as the ethnic grocery store has historically served as a cultural pillar of immigrant communities, in many U.S. cities, the rising cost of living, competition from online food delivery services, and displacement of non-white neighborhoods through gentrification could undermine long-standing immigrant-run retail stores and markets”(Chen). This demonstrates that online food delivery services, and displacement of non-white neighborhoods could undermine long standing immigrant runned retail stores and markets. However, the ethnic grocery stores have historically served as a cultural value of immigrant communities. Due to this it would be a huge impact that the cultural pillar of immigrant communities would go due to delivery services because it helps immigrants feel belonged and it causes the community to learn more of our culture through grocery stores and markets that have ethnic products. 

The smaller supermarkets are emphasized in communities that aren’t as invasive as larger supermarkets. Remond displays it in his article “How Smaller Supermarkets Could Transform American Communities”, “Additionally, smaller supermarkets could incentivize more communities to accept investments in grocery stores as they are less invasive and can avoid the hassles of big-box logistics” (Remond). This shows that “smaller supermarkets could incentivize more communities to accept investments in grocery stores”. This shows that smaller supermarkets could influence more communities to accept investments in grocery stores. This is due to the fact that they are less invasive and can avoid the hassles of  transportation of large quantities of goods. On the other hand, smaller supermarkets cause a closer sense of feeling and can have more of a deep connection to employees than in a big store that doesn’t really want to connect with customers. However, Joya Supermarket gives another sense. Instead, it wants to create those bonds with the customers, making the environment be a whole different sensation than in other stores. 

According to Maria Guadalupe and Gildardo Lara, “ at Joya Market, we make each customer feel like they’re reminded of their home country with products that are only found there and can’t be found anywhere else. We also carry products from different countries to welcome each customer who visits us” (Lara). This demonstrates that Joya makes each customer feel like they are reminded of their home country by giving them products that are only found there and can’t be found anywhere else. Joya carries products from several countries to welcome each customer who visits them.  Having Joya be part of the community brings a huge benefit to the community especially to the immigrant and hispanic community because it provides them with products that come from their home country. The warm welcoming of Joya Supermarket also helps the community feel like they belong instead of an outsider. 

Conclusion: 

Joya Supermarket is an important store in the area because it brings people together. Joya Supermarket is a cultural gathering place where people go and feel welcomed. It provides affordable, high quality ethnic products. The store connects with people and creates a community space where relationships are formed. It is an oasis, especially to hispanic and immigrant communities. Moreover, Joya Supermarket is a local business that is worth spending and supporting because it’s a place that cares about their customers, treats them like family and not to mention the amazing ethnic products they sell. This is “Because we speak the same language as most of our customers, 90 percent of whom speak Spanish, we have products that our Hispanic countries look for, and that aren’t as easy to find in other stores”(Lara). Joya Supermarket brings communities together and welcomes people that feel like an outsider. It provides the community with a warm welcome, a cultural meeting place, and provides affordable ethnic products.