New Latin grocery, Tienda Mi Esquina, now open for business in Amenia
From jalapeños and mandarinas to cactus pads and chiles, Kenia Lopez, the owner of Tienda Mi Esquina, was proud to point out the variety of Spanish ingredients for sale in her new store.
Photo by Kaitlin Lyle

New Latin grocery, Tienda Mi Esquina, now open for business in Amenia

AMENIA — As of this June, downtown Amenia has been able to experience the tastes and textures of the Spanish culture thanks to a new Latin market, Tienda Mi Esquina, which is now open at 3294 Route 343.

Translating the store’s Spanish namesake into “shop my corner,” Tienda Mi Esquina is a corner grocery-convenience store with an assortment of Spanish items that can be difficult to find locally, according to shop owner Kenia Lopez. As a local resident, Lopez shared how tough it is for her and her husband, Jose, to find ingredients for certain dishes, such as special flours to make tortillas; she said they have to travel to Poughkeepsie or to Brewster to pick up certain ingredients.

“I thought it would be good to have a shop where you could find the little things you need,” Lopez said. “I thought it was something that would be convenient for others.”

Yet before the couple could set up shop in Amenia, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and they were forced to wait a couple of months before they could move forward with plans to open Tienda Mi Esquina. They were able to finally open their business on Monday, June 1, after Governor Andrew Cuomo slowly began to restart the economy through a phased approach in regions throughout the state, months after he shut down nonessential businesses and schools due to COVID-19.

Now locals with a hankering for certain cuts of meat for that special cookout, or a sandwich or tamale to eat on the go or even something colorful to decorate their home, can stop by Tienda Mi Esquina to find what they’re looking for, from jalapeños, mandarinas and cactus pads to piñatas, sombreros and Spanish saints. 

“I think it’s a pretty good thing and a lot of people are excited,” Lopez said. 

The store’s hours of operation are Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. While Lopez and her husband are currently handling its operations, Lopez said they’re going to need more help soon, with their second child on the way.

As far as what they’re doing to keep their store sanitized during the pandemic, Lopez assured customers they’re taking care of all of the necessary cleaning and that they’re enforcing a rule about wearing masks inside the store. She added that they’re providing masks to customers who don’t have them as well as antibacterial wipes near the register. The store also offers curbside pickup for customers who aren’t comfortable going inside. Given the store’s proximity to the town’s post office, Lopez said sometimes customers will call them from outside the post office and she and her husband will meet customers outside. 

Overall, Lopez observed that customers are cautious as they go about their shopping during the pandemic, adding that they often come into the store wearing gloves and carrying hand sanitizer.

Looking ahead, Lopez said she and her husband plan to focus on more groceries in the future. In terms of what she’d like to accomplish while operating their business in Amenia, she hopes the store will be stable and that they’ll be able to keep their inventory consistently stocked. 

Given the stoves and sinks located in the back of the store from the space’s past life as a deli, they may possibly convert part of the space into a deli for customers to buy food to go, such as tacos and other traditional Spanish dishes.

To order curbside service from Tienda Mi Esquina, call  845-789-1038.

Latest News

Amenia approves sidewalk projectalong Route 44
Amenia Town Hall
Photo by John Coston

AMENIA — Pedestrians will soon be able to walk safely between Broadway and Beekman Park, now that a construction contract has been awarded.

The planning process continued for many months, culminating in an invitation to bid. The Town Board voted unanimously at its regular meeting on Thursday, March 20, to select the lowest bidder, clearing the way for work to begin.

Keep ReadingShow less
Science confirms: It was a cold winter

Spring has officially arrived with freezing night time temperatures forecast through the first week of April.

Photo by Krista A. Briggs

Victoria Kelly, Cary Institute Environmental Monitoring Program Manager and Senior Ecologist, prepared this report.

MILLBROOK — Since 1988 the weather station at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in the Town of Washington has been keeping track of our local weather — precipitation, temperature, wind, air quality, etc.

Keep ReadingShow less
North East Fire District focuses on budget, spending

The North East Fire house on the south side of Century Boulevard.

Photo by Krista A. Briggs

MILLERTON — The commissioners of the North East Fire District recently held their monthly meeting at the firehouse to discuss their current needs and general business.

Discussion centered around the current work on the 2025 budget and proposed expenditures, which ranged from upgrading their heating/cooling system to the possibility of replacing car no. 3.

Keep ReadingShow less
North East okays Village use of old highway garage

Town supervisor Chris Kennan hands memorandum of understanding documents to Millerton Mayor Jenn Najdek for her signature at the town board’s special meeting on March 21. Town councilperson Chris Mayville, left, and deputy supervisor Lana Morrison, right, in foreground.

Photo by Krista A. Briggs

MILLERTON – The Village’s need for space in the wake of the fire that gutted the Water and Highway building last month was addressed at a special meeting of the town board on Friday, March 21.

By a unanimous vote, the board approved a resolution to grant the Village usage of the Town’s old highway garage on South Center Street.

Keep ReadingShow less