Tim Johnson used to work in an ordinary quick-stop near Hillsborough, but Tim had a great idea:  He decided that instead of serving a few sandwiches and six packs of beer to the growing number of Hispanics he saw every day, he and his wife Susan would start a store that really sold Hispanics what they wanted to buy in an atmosphere that was more like a local tienda (store) back home than an impersonal, cookie-cutter North American store.  Now, El Mercado Central is a hub for the Hispanic community in Carrboro and Chapel Hill.  You can rent a Spanish language video or pick up a package of tortillas;  you can buy a ranchero music CD or select from a case of nopales (cactus).  You can look for a job on the bulletin board or send a moneygram home.

El Mercado Central is alive with energy.  I created a vertical composition lined with cans of black beans and bags of tortillas to communicate the feel of the aisles of the market.  I also chose to show a collection of photographs presented in a tight frame that replicate the tempo of activity in the store, the variety of the clientele, and the sense of community this generates. 

If you have never stopped by, drive over to the corner of Main and Greensboro (just across from Wendy’s) and visit.  Entering the Mercado Central, you take a step into a warm side of the new south where people far away from roots and family can feel at home and people who thought they were at home can feel like they've traveled to a busy and vibrant Latino world.

       (c)2007 Thanks for visiting!