Menomonie Welcomes First Mexican Grocery Store

After living in Menomonie for over a decade, local Juan Lozano couldn’t overlook the obvious any longer: No Mexican grocers were closer than roughly 20 miles of town. An “international” or “Mexican” aisle at a big box store wasn’t going to cut it either, but who would fill the void? Enter: La Veracruzana Mexican Grocery Store.

La Veracruzana Mexican Grocery Store (2521 Hills Court B, Menomonie) held its grand opening and ribbon-cutting on Friday, Nov. 17, bringing in folks who hadn’t already perused its shelves stocked with favorites like Tiky and Jarrito sodas, Rancheritos and Betamex snacks, and non-food items like piñatas, dishware, and more. But La Veracruzana’s story has been in progress for longer than just the past few weeks or even months. Really, La Veracruzana’s story began with Lozano.

Lozano moved to Menomonie about 12 years ago and has since gotten married, had children, and continued a career in construction. Before putting down roots in the Chippewa Valley, Lozano lived in Chicago for over a decade and originally hails from Veracruz, Mexico. He recalled his first job in the U.S., working food service at an Arby’s, and experience as a general manager before getting into construction. Over the years, Lozano found the common thread between each career path to be the people.

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