Monterrey Market Keeps Growing

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Soon after Robert Montemayor opened his first Monterrey Market location at 3014 S. 13th St. in April 2010, the full-service grocery store gained a following among South Side residents. Now with a second location (3920 S. 27th St.) that’s more than four times the size of his first store, Montemayor is able to offer a larger hot deli, a broad array of international foods, ample parking and more.

“We were so confined to space on 13th street and had to turn away great vendors and new products because we didn’t have room,” Montemayor says.

He had scouted several places for a second location. Through a real estate broker, he learned that Toys R Us was closing nationwide, and their buildings would soon be on the market. Montemayor put in a bid for the building on 27th & Howard but lost to a real estate firm. That deal never came to fruition, and Montemayor was able to purchase the 38,000 square-foot building in May 2019.

The building was solid, Montemayor relates, and the Toys R Us corporation had the roof replaced two years prior to closing. But it required electrical upgrades, new plumbing and some asbestos removal. Remodeling was also delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The store opened Oct. 23, 2020.

More Room, More Choices

Montemayor had the store designed with lots of color and character. The first location carries about 90% Hispanic groceries, but he wanted to offer more international items at the second location. “I don’t want people to think it’s only a Hispanic grocery store,” he says. “We have lots of Hispanic items but also lots of international groceries, with Polish, Spanish, Middle Eastern, Greek, African and Central American and South American products.”

An attractive produce department features common fruits and vegetables as well as produce like Mexican papaya and Mexican squash. Montemayor partners with a company in Chicago to package their own line of dried peppers.

There’s a meat department with on-site butchers, and a hot and cold deli with grab-and-go items. Montemayor notes he was able to install a 30-foot hood system to expand their line of house-made products. They make their own flour tortillas, pico de gallo salsa, guacamole and tamales varieties including chicken, pork, cheese and sweet flavors like pineapple and strawberry.

Monterrey Market partners with Mr. Churro for bakery items. The dairy department offers milk, sour cream, dips and a wide variety of Hispanic and world cheeses, along with cheddar, American cheese and more.

Montemayor recently added a café made from a shipping container. Customers can find coffee and espresso drinks, cold brews, teas, sandwiches, breakfast burritos and champurrado, a sweet Mexican chocolate drink made with masa harina.

Montemayor created spaces near the front of the store to lease to other businesses—an insurance company, and a cell phone store and a soon-to-open ice cream shop that will be run by Monterrey Market’s general manager, Jorge Meraz.

Dedication to Community

Montemayor always had an entrepreneurial spirit. While growing up in Chicago, he had newspaper routes, shoveled snow and cut grass to make extra money for fun conveniences like a new bike or a trip to the movies. His parents emigrated to America from Monterrey, Mexico, during the early ‘60s.

Montemayor had relatives in Milwaukee’s South Side. He met his wife in Milwaukee, and they were married at The Basilica of St. Josaphat, where he serves on the board. He volunteers on the boards for the Lincoln Village neighborhood association and the Crisol Corridor District.

“I have a commitment to the community that gives us so much,” he says. “People have lots of choices for grocery shopping, so I really instill a dedication to customer service in our team members.”

Monterrey Market sponsors local youth sports teams and hosted a COVID-19 vaccination clinic. To make shopping easier for customers, Monterrey added a store app that sends specials and coupons. He will soon add online ordering.

“The people are what motivates me—both my team members and the customers,” he says. He particularly enjoys mentoring and motivating teen employees.

For more information, visit monterreymarketwi.com.