BonnerSprings.com

A new "hope" has arrived in Bonner Springs.

At least that's the name of downtown's newest business, Hope Mexican Store, named for one of its owners, Esperanza Cruz. She's the wife of Tello Lopez, and the Bonner Springs couple hopes to have the store in the downtown Centennial Building at 135 Oak St., ready for business today.

Hope is the English translation of "esperanza."

Tello said he hopes the store will attract all kinds of customers, and not just other Mexican expatriates like himself, longing for products not widely available in the Midwest.

"We want everyone to come," said Tello.

The store's walls have been repainted in sunny pastels and the walls are lined with shelves featuring products many gringos may never have seen, or if they've seen them, have never been sure what to do with them.

He and Esperanza hail from Cuernavaca, a large city about an hour south of Mexico City.

While his store sells products of many kinds - from tortilla warmers to powdered corn-based drink mixes to canned juices and Mexican sodas - Tello said he's not finished with stocking.

With relish he describes pelotas - which translates literally as ball - a frozen dessert on a stick, with fruit filling inside, as one of the items he'll be offering.

There will also be pozole, a kind of soup made with pork and corn.

Probably the most exotic item for sale in the store now is patitos, literally the "little feet," of pigs preserved in jars.

There's also queso fresco, which is similar to mozzarella, chorizo and votive candles.

Piñatas based on different comic book and cartoon characters line the top of one row of shelves, and the face of a Batman piñata can be seen in the store's front window.

Tello said he and Esperanza chose the location for the store "because the people here are good," and Bonner Springs "is very tranquil."

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