Ethnic grocery stores becoming more plentiful in OKC

Now the 22^nd-largest city in the U.S., according to the 2020 census, Oklahoma City continues to attract people and businesses from across the globe. OKC is becoming more diverse as evidenced by the number of immigrants arriving in our city every year. One of the ways Oklahoma City helps them feel more comfortable when they get here is the number of international or ethnic grocery stores it has throughout the city.

Whether you are a new arrival or have been here for years, there are grocery stores that sell many of the same grocery products you typically used in your home country. But here is the cool thing about it: You don’t necessarily have to be an immigrant to shop at those stores or purchase their products! Even the locals who were either born in the OKC area or got here as quickly as they could from another state, can also enjoy a plethora of international foods sold by Oklahoma City’s ethnic grocery stores.

If you are a fan of Mexican food (and who isn’t?) and enjoy creating your own cuisines from scratch, there are several excellent Latin American grocery stores scattered throughout the city. One of the oldest such stores is Supermercados Morelos, which has four locations across the metro, with the largest located on SE 59th St. Two are also located in northwest Oklahoma City and the remaining store in Moore, a suburb of OKC. Each store’s location is near a growing Hispanic population.

Supermercado Morelos is owned by Francisco Ibarra and Manual Gomez whose fathers started the business 13 years ago when they immigrated to Oklahoma City from Mexico. The small chain, which also includes stores in the Tulsa area, sells mostly Mexican products; however, many of their products are from other Latin American countries such as Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. There is even a sit-down carniceria (butcher shop) restaurant inside the store.

Much like Supermercado Morelos, two other Latin American grocery stores in Oklahoma City – Feria Latina Supermarket and La Michoacana Supermarket – also provide their customers with an array of products from Mexico and other Latin-American nations. Feria Latina Supermarket opened in 2006 and has two locations, one on NW 23rd St. and a southside location near the corner of S. Pennsylvania Ave. and SW 47th St., while La Michoacana (formerly Super Mercado Buy For Less) have recently opened in OKC, predominantly on the city’s southside along SW 29th, SE 44th, SW 59th and S. Western. La Michoacana started in 1986 in Houston, Texas, and has since grown to about 140 stores, mostly in the big cities of Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.

Oklahoma City is also home to a large Asian population from places such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, China, India, South Korea and Lebanon. With so many Asian nations represented in our community, it is no surprise that several Asian grocery stores have popped up over the years. Perhaps the most well known of the bunch is family-owned and highly rated Super Cao Nguyen, located on N. Military Avenue in the city’s Asian District. Super Cao Nguyen has the distinction of being OKC’s oldest ethnic grocery store, offering 55,000 products to its customers not only from Asia but 60 other countries as well.

Another popular international grocery store in Oklahoma City is in the city’s southwest side – World Fresh International Market. Occupying the former – and spacious – Homeland Store at the corner of SW 104^th and S. Penn in the Chatenay Square shopping center, World Fresh International Market is locally owned and operated, and is a relative newcomer to OKC’s ethnic grocery store scene. It emphasizes Asian foods; however, it has many aisles filled with inventory from around the globe, including Europe, Central America, South America, Africa and the Middle East. LeMonde Bakery & Café, an authentic Asian-French bakery located inside the store, offers a large variety of breads, pastries, cakes, desserts and beverages.

If you want to visit stores with a more Middle Eastern flair, you might want to check out Mediterranean Imports, Deli + Gastro Goods near N.W. 56th St. and N. May Ave, or Nunu’s Mediterranean Café on W. Memorial Road.

Interested in foods from India? You might try Spices of India, a staple in northwest OKC for approximately 30 years. Spices of India is an excellent place to purchase grocery items from India as well as Nepal, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Middle East.

You can find out more about these and other OKC international grocers by visiting the Chamber’s A Better Life website.