When Sophia Martinez opened her first business, the La Guadalupana restaurant (now renamed El Taquila) in Britt, Iowa a 45 minute drive north of Eagle Grove, I happened to be one of their first customers. My nephew, who I raised as my own son, was a friend and classmate of Nathan, Sophia’s son. And we went to support them on their opening night.
Fast forward to this week, and I found myself at the opening of her second local business, the Nuevo Jalapeño bar at 305 W. Broadway here in Eagle Grove, just two doors from their successful local restaurant, El Jalapeño – a local favorite. And it was a wild success!
While there were definitely several non-hispanic patrons enjoying their evening at the bar, it was the latino community that came out in force. Nearly everyone dressed up for a night out, they made a stylish crowd. Like the boarding of Noah’s ark they came in two by two and in groups and alone, and they kept on coming. Inside an hour after opening, the crowd was standing room only, and the air was filled with music, laughter, and beams of light.
Security was taken very seriously. “We’re paying the extra expense for security to make the jobs of the police easier, and to put people’s minds at ease,” co-owner Edwin Velasquez said. “No other local bar has done that. But we think it’s important.” And while the security guards, including Edwin himself, were all buff and beefy kinds of guys few would want to hassle with, it was clear from watching the patrons that most of them wouldn’t have anyhow. Men were frisked, their pockets checked and even inside their hats, and none seemed to mind. Women’s purses were looked into. Again, none objected. Everyone seemed to appreciate the effort taken to ensure their safety.
Music was played in several styles, including country, reggaeton, norteñas, punta, banda, bachata, hip-hop and more. Primarily in spanish and with a latin flavor, but also some english language songs were played.
Sophia was clear that while she knew the bar would appeal mostly to the hispanic community, all were welcome. And indeed white faces like mine were greeted with smiles from every person and even friendly claps on the back. “When I moved to Eagle Grove from Brit,” Sophia said, “I found that here there’s a big spanish community and they didn’t have any kind of bar really catering to them.”
That’s why she originally opened the basement beneath El Jalapeño to dancing in June of 2019. She found that not only did the local hispanic community appreciate it, but patrons came from miles around. When COVID struck they cut the capacity by 50 percent. Even before that, however, they had to turn patrons away some nights. The space was just too crowded.
“I never imagined we’d grow so fast,” Sophia told the Eagle at the time, adding that patrons were coming “from all over” and they just didn’t have room.
That’s when Sophia approached Jim Christ about buying the space that now houses Nuevo Jalapeño, about buying the building that housed his warehouse at the time. Christ came through, and agreed to sell. Sophia and Edwin immediately began their planned renovation. Promising to open by May of this year. They beat that deadline handily opening last Friday, April the 8th, as busy as ever.
Inside, it’s hard to believe the very swanky and posh space that one might expect in a larger city was once a furniture warehouse. There are two pool tables tucked away in the corner past the custom built bar, with a gorgeous hand poured acrylic resin bartop that took several days to pour and cure. There are two VIP lounge areas, plenty of tables, and also plenty of open space, a spacious dance floor, and a large stage. And as Sophia promised last year, the drop ceiling had been removed to open up the space, and reveal the beautiful original tin ceiling. And of course new restrooms had been installed. The walls had big screen TV’s running sports, and the dance floor was brilliantly lit with a series of cutting edge lighting rigs that kept the mood fresh all night long.
Beer was served in ice buckets and appetizers were on the menu. Smiling bartenders, including Sophia’s mother, were mixing up drinks. And for the designated drivers, soft drinks were on tap.
“We’ve been very lucky that the communities have supported us so well. Even from surrounding towns,” Sophia concluded.
You’d think perhaps that with multiple successful businesses under their belts, a new last marriage, a new bar, and a new baby, Sophia and Edwin would be ready to slow down. But think again. The pair has also acquired the former Geno’s liquor store location here in Eagle Grove, which they plan to make use of, somehow, in the future. Just how they’re still considering. And they’re opening another Mexican restaurant, and a hispanic grocery, in Clarion next month. That grand opening is scheduled for May 2nd.
Asked how she’s been able to achieve such success in such a short time, Sophia revealed her secret to success: a lifetime of experience. “I grew up in this kind of business,” she told the Eagle. Explaining that her parents owned restaurants, groceries, and bars in Mexico. And while Sophia scrimped and saved to prepare herself to pursue her dreams of following in her parents footsteps as an American citizen, before opening her first restaurant those six short years ago, she’s been able to parlay each success since into the on-ramp to the next.
I can hardly wait to see what’s next.
