Opening alert
Artsy new Mexican snack shop and smoothie bar brightens San Antonio
While most 23-year-olds are still trying to decide what to do with their lives, native San Antonio couple Paula Flores and Alfredo Cruz are already running their first business. Their artsy new snack shop, Frida’s Corner, debuted July 1 at 1407 Bandera Rd.
Flores says the idea for the eatery was born out of the couple’s competing tastes. “I love Mexican snacks and my husband is all fitness,” she explains. “There are plenty of delicious places in town that sell either/or but none that offer both, so we saw it as an opportunity.”
Although neither had run a restaurant before, that didn’t stop them from diving right in. But they kept things manageable with a simple menu that offers street snacks like corn in a cup, Tostilocos (Tostitos topped with various vegetables, lime juice, and seasonings), and chicharrones alongside healthier fare like fruit cups, mangonadas, açaí bowls, and smoothies and frozen treats like ice cream and paletas.
Flores says the couple’s goal was to create an authentic experience for guests. The tiny shop is decorated with touches that call back to contemporary Mexican design like brightly colored metal tables and chairs, traditional black and white tile, and a neon sign reading “Vida la Vida,” made from Monterrey, Mexico, designers The Wall Project.
Fittingly, the name honors artist Frida Kahlo, who Flores says embodies the spirit of the shop. “She was a rebel, a lover, she was culture, and a new definition of art,” says Flores. “She is definitely the perfect Mexican icon and I am such a fan that I knew Frida was just perfect for this.”
Still, her and her husband decided to not take the inspiration literally, using a Día de los Muertos sugar skull as a logo instead of Kahlo’s famous face. Ultimately, the rich culture referenced in the artist's paintings was more important than the works themselves.
“I feel that when people think of fruterias or Mexican snack places they have a different idea of what Mexico is right now,” Flores says. “Mexico is innovation, architecture, culture, and, of course, delicious food. When people think of Frida’s, [I want them] they think of the real Mexico.
