Thread: Illegal-Immigrant Crackdown Pushes Va. Latino Market To Add

Illegal-Immigrant Crackdown Pushes Va. Latino Market To Add Diversity

By Nick Miroff
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 8, 2008; C01



For years, the Route 1 corridor in the Dumfries-Triangle-Quantico area has lacked a large grocery store, so when entrepreneur Carlos Castro went looking to expand his Todos supermarket franchise with a second Prince William County location, he saw promise in the sleepy expanse of the Dumfries Shopping Plaza. Castro inked a 10-year lease and invested $2 million in renovations, using $500,000 in savings.

Four months later, in July, Prince William launched a crackdown on illegal immigrants and set off shock waves among Castro's mostly Latino customer base. Sales at his Todos Supermarket in Woodbridge tanked, and suddenly, his business plan for Dumfries appeared seriously flawed.

His only option: Revise it.

"There was no going back," said Castro, 53, who came from El Salvador in 1980 and began his career as a dishwasher. "We had to keep going forward and focus on the entire community rather than just be a Latino grocery store."

It was something of a community event, then, as Castro hosted an official ribbon-cutting ceremony last week for his fellow Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce members at the newly opened Dumfries market. Nearly all of the county's politicians were there: Republicans, Democrats, state delegates, supporters of the crackdown as well as its critics.

Even the merchandise on the shelves suggested something of a compromise: fresh churros and nopal cactuses sharing space with Texas toast and Sara Lee cakes.

In the freezer section, an easy fellowship seem to reign among the pupusas, Gordon's fish sticks, imported banana leaves and chopped okra.

In a county still strained by ethnic and cultural tensions, community leaders were quick to note a kind of harmony in the aisles of Castro's store that has often been missing from the bruising debates on illegal immigrants.

"This supermarket is going to have something for everyone," said the Rev. Donald J. Planty of Holy Family Catholic Church in Dale City, alluding to the Todos name.

"Todos" means "everyone" in Spanish. "Latino, black, white, Asian, with or without papers," he joked.

"I love the fact that there's a variety of things in here," Supervisor Maureen S. Caddigan (R-Dumfries) said. "You have been a great civic leader for the entire county," she told Castro, whose company has been repeatedly rated among the state's Fantastic 50 by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

Castro, who opened the Dumfries store seven weeks ago, said he tallied about $200,000 in sales in its first month of business.

That's only a quarter of the sales volume of his slightly smaller Woodbridge store, and business there has dropped 15 to 20 percent since the controversy over illegal immigrants erupted in the summer. Several dozen of the townhouses within walking distance of the Dumfries store are empty because of recent foreclosures, Castro said, cutting into his customer base.

Still, Dumfries Mayor Fred E. Yohey Jr. said the store will be a significant economic boost to the town, because Castro eventually hopes to employ about 75 staff members.

"It'll be very positive," Yohey said.

About half of the shoppers have been non-Hispanic, Castro said, and all the signs and price placards in the new store are in English, not Spanish.

But the ribbon-cutting was not without glitches. The fierce storms had knocked out power in several aisles of the store, forcing employees to clear many perishable products from the shelves even as politicians and guests mingled near the registers.

Dumfries resident Clint Draper, shopping at the store for the second time, wasn't pleased that several items weren't available and said he wasn't sold on the place.

"I was looking to see more diversity, and you don't see it in his products or his staff," Draper said. "If this is going to be a community thing, it's going to have to serve all of us."

But several other customers said they were pleased to have a large grocery store so close to home. "They have all the items you'd want to have, and not just for Hispanic people," Michael Hartt said.

The Dumfries resident, who is retired, said he lives on a fixed income and was pleased to find some sale items at better prices than at the major grocery chains.

"This Charmin [12-pack] is two for $10, and it's at least $6.99 at most other stores, if not more," Hartt said.

He also noted the gas savings from the trip, with his home only a short distance away. "The less you have to travel these days, the better off you are," Hartt said.

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Maybe it's just me, but I fail to see where this is a news worthy event of major proportions.

The guy opened up a grocery store which carries a variety of ethnic based items in addition to more traditional items......just like any other large grocery offers.

This is a big deal how? Cause for some big celebration of diversity where?

Supervisor Maureen S. Caddigan (R-Dumfries) said. "You have been a great civic leader for the entire county," she told Castro,


Based upon the fact that he did what? Made a practical business decision when the need arose to alter his original plan? Well, gee.........that's a first in the business world

JBig deal...this guy realizes he can no longer make money from a mostly illegal alien Hispanic clientele as his base....at least he realizes that...and hopefully all the other knuckle-heads like him will do the same. Yes, if he wants to cater to the majority of the 300 million Americans ....then get rid of the Spanish signs, hire American citizens to work in your business and you'll be successful.

Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't most major American stores carry products for every ethnic group, "mine does" why is this so special and unusual?

sosadforus: yes, but what the retailers falsely "claim" are "Hispanic" products are usually just Mexican products from Mexico that are purchased by Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, I find it insulting ....Latin American cuisine is very diverse. Mexican street food is not what people enjoy in South America, or even in Central America.

I think the story is about him making a 90 degree turn seeing he couldn't make a profit on just the Latinos. I found this paragraph the only interesting part of the story:


About half of the shoppers have been non-Hispanic, Castro said, and all the signs and price placards in the new store are in English, not Spanish.