Erin Lanahan 
Visitors to La Bodega are greeted by friendly faces, and the smell of home-cooked Dominican food floods the air. The family-run store at 407 Palisade Avenue in Jersey City is celebrating thirty years in business in 2025. At a time when it feels like many small businesses are shutting their doors, it’s exciting to recognize the hard work and dedication a local family has put into both their business and The Heights community. The current owner, Maricarmen Antigua, spoke with The Hoboken Girl to share her experience as a business owner with strong New Jersey roots and the history of her family’s store.
Growing Up With La Bodega
When La Bodega opened back in the summer of 1995, it was known as Maricarmen Supermarket. It was a bit ironic, because it was a small bodega, but it still sold a lot of groceries and Dominican food. A bodega is known as a small grocery store, usually in an urban area.
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Maricarmen’s grandparents, Don Ovidio and Doña Elia, moved from the Dominican Republic to Union City in 1994, then eventually settled in The Heights neighborhood of Jersey City as they continued to run their business.
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A couple of years later, her father, Don Rafael, took over the business. In the back of La Bodega today, there’s a mural of both men paying tribute to all their hard work in the store and their contributions to the Jersey City community.
Maricarmen grew up in North Bergen and smiles, telling HG about all the family parties and events she went to growing up in The Heights.
“We were just next door. Our aunts and uncles and cousins, they all live in the Jersey City Heights,” says Maricarmen. “I remember even for holidays, thinking of New Year’s, we would go from house to house. Literally, there was someone in every part of this area. There was a family member I loved.”
La Bodega became a community hub for Maricarmen’s family and the Latino community in The Heights.
After Maricarmen and her husband graduated from Rutgers University, they decided to take over the family business.
“My husband and I really thought about what’s working and what’s not,” Maricarmen tells HG. “The reality is that the Jersey City Heights community has evolved. We didn’t have a lot of people coming in for groceries anymore. People were really coming in for the food.”
The Heights Evolving
It’s no secret that Jersey City has undergone significant changes in recent years. The monthly cost of rent for a one-bedroom apartment has gone up from $970 in 2005 to $3,217 in 2024.
Maricarmen has seen with her own eyes how the Latino community has shifted around her business on Palisade Avenue. She says her customer base has become more diverse, and she and her team look to welcome people of all backgrounds to La Bodega.
“We want to continue the stand to be a community hub for Latinos who are still here. A lot of our customers come from neighboring cities,” she tells HG. “Most of our finds are coming from Union City or North Bergen, or Kearney. It does make us proud to be able to be that Latino community hub for those who are still here.”
Maricarmen continues to love the area, highlighting how it’s transformed to become more family-oriented over the years. She says she’s seen many daycares pop up, attended several busy events at the Riverview Park, and watched families grow up and thrive around The Heights.
As a member of the Jersey City community, Maricarmen loves to support other small, local businesses in the area. Towards the back of the store is a section called La Bodegita. Not only does she keep Dominican foods in stock, but she also sells local goods from New Jersey businesses.
“It’s a space to showcase products from the Dominican Republic, and also to continue to support other local entrepreneurs and local artists,” she tells HG. “On the shelves, we’ll stock books from local artists and entrepreneurs, or products that represent the Latino community.”
The Food At La Bodega
Because Maricarmen’s family comes from the coast of the Dominican Republic, the menu at La Bodega specializes in seafood. Some of the items on the al la carte menu include fried red snapper, swordfish, tilapia, shrimp, and more.
“We want to be able to transport people to the island. Usually, what we get when people try our food is like, ‘I feel like I’m eating at my grandma’s kitchen!’ Because we’re just true to our Dominican flavors,” she said.
Maricarmen tells HG that the fried oxtail has been one of the biggest sellers.
“We’re big on fried foods. Our oxtail is a huge hit. My husband went viral on Instagram at one point because he was serving up oxtails. We had so many people coming in for oxtails,” she laughs before adding, “but I think that the main reason why he went viral is because my husband, I find him attractive, and so do a lot of people.”
HG pro tip: Try the Dominican burger and the fresh lemonade. The burger is delicious and served with cabbage, onions, and a special sauce. The lemonade is sweet and refreshing, a perfect pairing.
The banner on the outside of the store reads, “familia, tradición, comunidad,” or “family, tradition, community.” You didn’t have to tell me how important that is to La Bodega. Over the course of my interview with Maricarmen, her father, mother, aunt, and niece all walked into the store. Some of them jumped in to help with orders behind the counter. Other friendly faces stopped to say hi and catch up after a long day. It was clear how important this space is to so many, not just in The Heights, but in this corner of New Jersey.
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