Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate adds pop-ups, honors Latin American connections
From staff reports
Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate features two special pop-ups within its gelateria in Empire this summer.
One sells Miriam Teran’s Kichwa artisan wares from her indigenous community in northern Ecuador—products that she has sold at festivals and powwows across the Midwest for more than a decade. The presence of Miriam’s crafts emphasizes the company’s connection to Ecuador, the South American country from which Grocer’s Daughter sources all its chocolate.
“Miriam is an old friend of ours,” explains Grocer’s Daughter co-owner Jody Hayden. “She is an Indigenous woman from (near) Otavalo, Ecuador who now lives in Chicago, traveling across the country to showcase handiwork from Indigenous women around the world.”
The other pop-up, Adriana’s Kitchen, features traditional food from the Mexican state of Guanajuato, including steak and chicken tacos, tostadas and burritos, served with rice, beans and salsa. After moving to the Traverse City region from Guanajuato two decades ago, Adriana and her husband, Jesus—together with their three daughters—are excited to share the traditional Mexican flavors they know and love. Adriana’s Kitchen is open Thursday-Monday from 4-8 pm in the Gelato Shop.
“Our intent behind the pop-ups is to uplift these incredible women and to try new, fun (and delicious) things at Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate,” said Hayden.
“On a more personal note, throughout my career at Higher Grounds Trading and now Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate, I am incredibly fortunate to have had many people, sheerly out of generosity and goodwill, champion me and open doors to opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to access. So, for me, it’s one small way to reciprocate the solidarity and support.”
Jody Hayden connected with Adriana through their mutual friend Gladys Muñoz, a migrant worker advocate and co-director of the Justice and Peace Advocacy Center.
“Before this opportunity we were working in the fields,” said Adriana. “We have been (in the Traverse City region) for 20 years, but this is the first time we’ve been able to sell our Mexican food. I’m very proud of Guanajuato, where I was born and where I learned to cook.”
Adriana lit up when she shared that a customer recently told her the taco she ate at the Grocer’s Daughter gelateria was the best taco she had ever eaten in Michigan.
