Home Fashion + BeautyAccessories Latinx- + Hispanic-Owned Businesses to Support in Hoboken + Jersey City

Latinx- + Hispanic-Owned Businesses to Support in Hoboken + Jersey City

by Victoria Marie Moyeno
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From flavorful food to irresistible music and century-old traditions, Latinx cultures are uniquely special and historically made up of hard-working people. It’s important to note that the term “Latinx” refers to all Latino American, Central American, Caribbean, and Indigenous people of all orientations. The roots of the Latinx community are rich and come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. All of the countries and islands that make up this beautiful community are one-of-a-kind — but Latinidad as a whole is intersectional and remarkable. We’ve highlighted some of the Latinx-owned + Hispanic-owned businesses in Hoboken and Jersey City. Read on to learn more about some of the Latinx + Hispanic leaders in the area that you can support.

This is a growing list. To request to be added, please email hello@hobokengirl.com.

Hoboken

Alivio Wellness | 302 7th Street

This wellness studio is dedicated to detoxification and self-care services. “Alivio” is a Spanish word that translates to “relief.” Colon hydrotherapy, pre + post-natal services, nutritional counseling, and an infrared sauna are some of the ways customers can unwind and detox with at Alivio Wellness.

Club Pilates 2023

718 Beauty Bar | 718 Washington Street #7054

 

Harborside Sport + Spine
 
 
 
 
 
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Hobbs Inc

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Hoboken-based 718 Beauty Bar is a full-service salon that specializes in nails, makeup, waxing, and lashes. Owned and operated by two sisters, Fanairy Sanchez and Maricarmen Antigua who are of Dominican descent, this salon has quickly become a much-loved spot in the Mile Square. Fay is a professional makeup artist, certified esthetician, and licensed massage therapist, and Mary has a bachelor’s in labor relations and has always been passionate about quality customer experience.

yoga renew hoboken

Ace Body Massage | 1012 Grand Street, #409

Ace Body Massage is a medical massage practice with a hint of spa-like ambiance. The team specializes in pain relief, improving athletic performance, range of motion, and flexibility. Diana, the owner, is of Colombian descent and her business partner, Denise, is half-Dominican, half-Puerto Rican.

Read More: LUPE Fund: Educating, Empowering, + Engaging Local Latinas

Alexandra Guzman, Pampered Pug LLC | Hoboken + Jersey City

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Alexandra is a Jersey City resident and has a small business selling homemade, healthy, natural, single ingredient dehydrated dog treats called Nackies Dog Treats. She sells at various farmers markets in the area as well as vends at local street fairs and artisan markets.

Blo-it-Out Lounge | 1212 Washington Street

 

 
 
 
 
 
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This salon has been serving the residents of Hoboken since 2014. Blo it Out Lounge was founded by BNR sisters Lorrie Centeno and Desiree Velez who are of Puerto Rican descent. The salon offers hair, makeup, eyelash, and spray tan services.
Some of the specialty services offered are scalp massages and deep conditioning hair treatments. Additionally, the salon
offers professional bridal hair and makeup services on-location, as well as mobile services.

Body Balance Massage + Skincare Spa | 20 Hudson Place, 2nd Floor

Body Balance Massage Skincare Spa

Body Balance Massage and Skincare Spa serves clients in Hoboken, Jersey City, and surrounding towns, offering therapeutic massages and skincare services. The business is owned and operated by Rick Huet, who is a graduate of Stevens Institute of Technology, and his wife Alina, who are of Cuban descent. The spa provides a wide range of customized massages, from relaxing and stress-reducing, sports, prenatal, deep tissue, couples, and pain-relieving therapeutic massages that target trouble areas. The spa also offers customized and advanced facials treat all skin types, as well as anti-aging, hydrating, sensitive skin, and deep cleansing acne facials.

Culina Health | Virtual

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Culina Health is a health business designed to support clients on their journey to a healthier life. Vanessa Rissetto is the co-founder of the company and is of Haitian descent. She is a local dietitian and nutritionist helping Hoboken and Jersey City residents make each day and meal a bit healthier. Culina’s coaching program combines evidence-based nutrition with health coaching techniques to help you understand and overcome the physical, mental, environmental, and behavioral challenges getting in the way of reaching your goals.

Changó Kitchen | 301 Willow Avenue

chango kitchen

Changó Kitchen, which kept a similar menu to the now-closed Zafra Kitchen, is the brainchild of Ceferino Fernandez. The menu options include Latin-American dishes like mofongo (a classic Puerto Rican dish), Cuban sandwiches, tres leches, and more.

EC Beauty Studio and Spa | 80 River Street, Suite 2A

This beauty studio was founded by Erica Cerpa, who is of Puerto Rican descent. Erica started off as a skincare educator and evolved her business into what it is today, a successful spa that offers microdermabrasion, chemical peels, oxygen facials, waxing, paraffin treatments, spray tanning, dermaplaning, and more. 

Fit Foundry | 1416 Willow Avenue

Fit Foundry’s goal is to guide you on your own path to success by combining serious fitness with an encouraging, clean, fun, and inviting atmosphere. The studio offers specialty yoga as well as small and large group team training in other workouts. Yoga classes are broken down into three classes — Slow Burn (60 min), Fused Flow (45 min), and Fire Flow (45 min).

Furever Friends | Hoboken

For all kinds of dog-related services, Furever Friends was created back in 2010 by Will Ferman. After spending time in art school, Will decided that his real passion was working with animals. He operates out of Hoboken and in terms of pet care, Furever Friends has dog walking and dog boarding services for the pet parents out there.

F45 Training Hoboken North | 720 Monroe Street, Suite E 303

Alvaro Perez who is of Spanish descent is the owner of F45 Training, which is under the umbrella of F45 Prodigy. Alvaro has helped F45 create a name for itself with its intense and satisfying group exercise classes. Their Instagram is filled with tips from trainers and testimonials from regular class attendees.

Graceful Skin + Body Spa | 100 Madison Street

Founded by lifelong Hoboken resident Grace Sibilia, Graceful Skin + Body Spa specializes in skin and body treatments, brides, acne, and anti-aging transformations. Sibilia happens to be a New Jersey licensed Oncology Certified Aesthetician, and she uses her expertise to pass on to her customers.

JJ Paperie + Co. | Online

In January 2021, Johanna Gutierrez-Griffiths, who is of Peruvian descent, launched her calligraphy, engraving & design studio in Hoboken. She took classes on how to use Adobe Illustrator and began building her line of stationery and products. She currently sells her cards at Bloomies Flower Shop in Hoboken and Love Locked in Jersey City. She uses eco-friendly paper goods, sourcing locally and eliminating plastic when possible. Johanna has a paper-good product for every occasion, including “Feliz Navidad” cards for the holidays. Check out Johanna’s creations on Instagram @jjpaperieco.

Ken Pilates | 706 Grand Street, Hoboken

ken pilates

Ken Pilates is owned by Kennyth, who is a private Pilates instructor and personal trainer. Locals can train with him at his private studio in Hoboken with a program designed for individual needs including, starting fitness, overall toning, high impacts workouts, and post-rehabilitation.

La Isla | 104 Washington Street

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Chef and owner Omar Giner is of Cuban descent and blends both his heritage and his culinary expertise into the menu at La Isla. Chef Omar actually got his start as a pastry chef — so the desserts at La Isla are not to be missed. La Isla is the spot to go for delicious Cuban home cooking that you don’t have to cook yourself.

La Tiendita de Mela Fleurs | Online

Mellissa Diaz, who is of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent, went from being a corporate girl at Vox Media in NYC to opening up her own small business during COVID. La Tiendita de Mela Fleurs, or Mela Fleurs for short, is a sustainable flower online shop that specializes in chic dried flower arrangements. The assortment available includes hand-tied bouquets, small to large arrangements with or without a vase, wreaths, floral hoops, and more. Mel also offers custom work for weddings and events.

Law Office of Rosemarie Moyeno Matos LLC | 105 Jefferson Street

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Rosemarie is a business attorney of Puerto Rican descent and a second-generation Latina BNR in Hoboken. With nearly two decades of experience, she has extensive knowledge in various practice areas, including business, cannabis, insurance, environmental, regulatory compliance, and real estate law. For clients who are looking for an attorney who understands the risks and complexities of running a successful, legally compliant business and who offers a thoughtful, balanced, and cost-effective approach to best practices, problem-solving, and risk mitigation, she is the attorney of choice.

Lions Den Shear and Shave Company | 601 Jefferson Street

crew hair studios luis

This barbershop is owned by Luis Lugo, also known as Junior, who is of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent as well as a Hoboken native. Luis is a professional stylist with over 15 years of experience in the industry. The Lions Den team used to own and operate Crew Hair Studios in town, but recently rebranded and opened at its new location in town.

Little Linguists | 739 Bloomfield Street

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Little Linguists is a Spanish immersion program daycare center for children ages 1 – 6 years. The center was co-founded by Margarita Garcia, a Hoboken BNR who is of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent. Margarita has been the Hoboken Dual Language Charter School’s (HoLa) summer camp, aftercare, and enrichment coordinator since 2010. Previously, she worked as a Unit Director at the Hoboken Boys and Girls Club, and as a co-teacher at Stevens Cooperative.

Lorraine’s House of Styles | 160 1st Street

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Lorraine Fred opened a salon in her hometown of Hoboken in 2000. She is of Puerto Rican descent and her expertise spans all aspects of beauty, fashion, hair, and makeup. In 2003, Lorraine’s House of Styles transformed into a teaching salon where other associates can learn how to hone their skills in color, corrective color, creative color, cut, and styling. In 2019, her salon was recognized as health-conscious for implementing environmentally friendly practices. The salon offers hair services for women and men, including textured hair; makeup, eyelashes, and eyebrow services.

Melissa Rosa with Hudson Healing Arts | 51 Newark Street

Melissa Rosa joined Hudson Healing Arts this year as a Reiki Master practitioner. She started her own LLC for her spiritual and wellness business back in 2020 called Golden Rose Reiki. Melissa is a proud Puerto Rican single mother originally from Jersey City.

Mint Market | 303 1st Street, Hoboken + 339 Grove Street, Jersey City

 

 
 
 
 
 
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This clothing boutique is in its own league. Founder Valerie Duardo, who is of Cuban descent, opened the doors to her popular shop in 2013 and it’s been a local favorite ever since. Mint Market has locations in both Hoboken and Jersey City. Customers can find the shops lined with the latest trends that are perfect for a day look or night out on the town. The best part is that the shop also carries rare vintage clothes and accessories from brands like Chanel, Gucci, and Prada. The boutique’s Instagram page is definitely worth a follow for its amazing fashion inspiration.

Morelia Gourmet Paletas | 932 Washington Street

letisia harold morelia paletas hoboken

The husband and wife duo Letisia and Harold Campo of  Morelia Paletas recently made their way to the Mile Square. At this local spot, Mexican frozen desserts called “paletas” are created in a different assortment of flavors. Strawberry cheesecake, cookies and cream, and Greek yogurt are just a few of the options to choose from. These paletas can be made into a creamy, fruity, or filled form.

My Gym | 720 Monroe Street, Suite E312

Alvaro and Tatiana Vega, of Latin + Costa Rican descent respectively, opened the Hoboken location of My Gym in 2012 — and survived through the pandemic. When they opened up My Gym, they had a 3-year-old daughter and Tatiana was pregnant with their next child. My Gym offers classes, daycare, camps, parties, and free play for babies and toddlers — and the owners’ three children were raised going to work and playing at the gym.

Pursue Physical Therapy | 80 River Street, Suite 2E

Pursue PT in Hoboken is a physical therapy practice dedicated to changing the perception of physical therapy and the way healthcare is delivered. The practice was started in 2016 by licensed physical therapist, Dr. Brandon Cruz — who is one of two Physical therapists in New Jersey who is fellowship-trained in orthopedic manual physical therapy and holds dual board certifications in orthopedics and sports physical therapy. The office has a wide range of treatments available to help patients recover from injuries, manage chronic pain, improve mobility, and prevent future injuries.

Roig Collection | 252 1st Street

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Anyone who’s ever visited the W Hotel, walked past the public tennis courts, or attended the Arts + Music Festival has come across Ricardo’s art. Ricardo Gesualdo Roig is a local artist of Cuban, Venezuelan, and Dominican descent and he is best known for his signature hand-cut prints. He is the artist behind the Michael Chang mural at the HHS tennis courts, and Hoboken Color, the masterpiece on the side of Napoli’s Pizzeria located at 133 Clinton Street. Ricardo has a ground-level gallery showcasing his works in the W Hotel, as well as a studio on 1st Street. Neighboring towns Jersey City and Westfield have tapped Ricardo to design and execute murals there as well. Shop his latest works on his website.

Sparrow Wine & Liquors | 126 Washington Street + 1224 Bernard McFeeley Shipyard Lane

Sparrow Wine & Liquors

Sparrow is owned and operated by Armando Luis who is of Cuban descent. The mission of the local wine and liquor store is to bring Hudson County the world’s best and most interesting wines and spirits along with an emphasis on value. The company was founded during prohibition in 1922 as Sparrow Cigar Company in bustling downtown Hoboken. By the start of the war, the store had become one of the leading tobacco retailers in the state and had expanded into liquor. The Luis family bought the store in 1977, by which time liquor was the bigger part of the business. When son Armando took over the operation in 1986 the emphasis shifted to fine wine. During the ’90s the store was acclaimed as one of the finest wine shops in greater New York by major wine and food publications. In 1999 the flagship store opened on the renovated Hoboken northern waterfront at the old Bethlehem Shipyards with 6000 square feet and a beautiful view of Manhattan. Today the store remains one of the leading and most respected wine and spirit merchants in New Jersey.

Spesh Salon + Barbershop | Mobile Only

 

 
 
 
 
 
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This barbershop was founded by Steven Louis Torres who moved to Hoboken from Newark and is of Cuban and Spanish descent. He comes from a family of entrepreneurs and is proud to represent his Latino community as a local business owner right here in the Mile Square. Spesh is mobile-only gender-neutral and has a dope vibe with a modern feel. The menu is based on the length of your hair (short, mid-length, and long), so that people of all genders and identities can get the style and look they want. Bonus, virtual consultations are now possible, so if you’re looking for a change but not ready to hit up the salon just yet, meet with a stylist over a video call to discuss your goals.

Studio 17 Cosmetics and Wellness | 601 9th Street

Studio 17 is a full-service, concierge aesthetic practice providing a wide range of services. The founder, Dr. Briza Walter, is of Brazilian descent. The studio accommodates every client by customizing the treatment program that best meets your individual need, schedule, and budget. The design of the studio is intended to welcome patients to a relaxing and enjoyable experience while offering an array of services. Botox, lip and cheek fillers, vampire facials, and non-invasive ultrasound lifts are just a few of the beauty services the studio offers. The team is made up of two Latinas, the other half being Grace Sibilia, the in-house esthetician, who is also of Puerto Rican descent and is originally from Hoboken.

The Co. | 632 Washington Street

Erica Alvarez Castro the co

Erica Alvarez Castro, who is of Spanish descent, had worked as an architect and interior designer at other companies for several years, but her job lacked the healing aspect that she was looking for. In true carpe-diem style, Erica seized the moment in the middle of a global pandemic, quit her job, and opened her own business, The Co. The product assortment consists of home decor, accessories, and jewelry, and most of the products sold in The Co. are made by local designers or sustainably sourced brands. When choosing her assortment, Erica focuses on what makes her home happy and tries to find local artists and vendors that fit that need.

The Cupcake Carriage + The Ellinnet Cake Collection | Food Truck + Online

The Cupcake Carriage is the latest venture of Tennille Ortiz, who is of Puerto Rican descent. Tennille feels that growing up in Spanish Harlem was the best way to embrace her roots and prepare her for what her true purpose is. She is a self-taught cake designer who specializes in custom fondant cakes, cupcakes, and confections. The Cupcake Carriage was originally a cupcake decorating birthday party service for kids, but in light of COVID-19, Tennille switched gears and transformed the truck into a mobile bakery that can be found on Sinatra Drive throughout the week.

The DIY Joint | 51 Harrison Street, Suite #A207

This workshop is the perfect place to put your handyman and handywoman skills to test. The DIY Joint is owned and operated by Priscilla Van Houten, who is of Puerto Rican descent, who founded this local spot out of a determination to give others an exciting, fun, and empowering experience while building a community of makers and creators. Fret not if you don’t have a personal toolbox: the studio has professional-grade tools and equipment in-house. You can learn the craft of woodworking from friendly, expert instructors, taking the guesswork and fear out of using power tools.

Trim | 302 1st Street

Trim is a full-service barbershop owned and operated by brothers Daren and Leo Coto. Originally from the Mile Square, they are of Dominican and Honduran descent. Daren began his journey by cutting friends’ hair in high school. Trim barbershop is popular among residents, and brings back the lost art of a hot towel shave, while still catering to the modern man. Daren, Leo, and their sister Yasmin are the founders behind Hoboken’s first public fishing club that was recently launched. 

Uncle Milton’s Cafe | 1119 Jefferson Street

uncle miltons cafe hoboken

This cafe is newer to the Hoboken scene and opened up in April of this year. After immigrating to Long Island from El Salvador at age 10, owner Milton Canales soon got his first job as a dishwasher at a restaurant. Having been a lover of food from a young age, his early work experience led him to various delis and coffee shops before he knew he wanted to pursue this passion on his own. After years of owning a catering company, Milton took his business to Hoboken and opened up his very own storefront where he serves a variety of breakfast foods, coffee, pastries, and more. What’s more, Milton is also a member of the LGBTQ+ community and hopes that his shop will be a safe haven for other LGBTQ+ locals.

Whiskers + Leo Pet Care | Online

Whiskers and Leo Pet Care

Whiskers and Leo is a professional pet care company with services ranging from mid-day dog walking and in-home pet visits, to private cage-free boarding in a sitter’s home or overnight sitting in yours. Owner Sonja Guardino, who is of Dominican, Columbian, and Italian descent, named the businesses after her own furry friends. The business serves residents in Hoboken, Jersey City, Weehawken, Union City, and the surrounding area.

 

Jersey City

All For The Wag | Jersey City + Hoboken

If looking for dog care, All For The Wag caters to the Jersey City and Hoboken neighborhoods. Both dog daycare and overnight care are available. These services are perfect for those leaving the area and are in need of their pup to be taken care of.

Beauty Within Hair Salon | 96 Central Avenue

This hair salon is operated by Marsha Agusto, who is of Puerto Rican descent. Beauty Within offers full hair and nail services for women, as well as a barber section for men with the well-known professional barber and Jersey City native, Rennie Sosa, who is of Dominican descent. In the wake of Hurricane Maria, Marsha raised money to fly to Puerto Rico to provide free hair services to locals who were affected by the devastating destruction.

Crema | 1 Duncan Avenue

Crema

Crema coffee shop is owned by Frederico who is of Argentinian descent. The shop was opened in 2018, something Frederico always wanted to do. He treasures the opportunity to open his doors every morning and welcome locals into what he calls his living room. Crema specializes in coffee drinks, small cafe bites including Argentinian empanadas, desserts, and ice cream.

Cupcakes By Jeannie | Online

Cupcakes By jeannie jersey city

Cupcakes by Jeannie is a pastry business that also operates out of a food truck that parks in Jersey City, mainly in the downtown area or McGinley Square. The business is owned by Jeannie Colon and operated alongside her sister Sonia Vasquez, who are of Puerto Rican descent. The Jersey City BNR sisters create unique cakes, cupcakes, cake pops, and other treats for personal and corporate celebrations as well as holidays. The truck carries cupcakes of all flavors, some of which include tres leches, dulce de leche, salted caramel, chocolate cookies and cream, and much more. Pro-tip, don’t miss out on the holiday kits that are perfect for any age. To locate the truck, follow the sisters on Instagram, as they post where they are parked on a weekly basis.

Doody Free Girl | 189 Brunswick Street

Doody Free Girl is a colon hydrotherapy practice founded by Jen Gonzalez, who is of Cuban and Chinese descent. Jen administers gravity colonics, a fast and gentle way to detox your bowels. On her website, she blogs about her bathroom experiences for the sake of helping readers combat bathroom anxiety and inspiring them to just let it go. Additionally, she hand makes “Bathroom Soy Travel Candles” scented with lemongrass essential oil and complete with “Doody Free Girl Shit-Anywhere” matches.

EOC Technology Innovations, LLC | Online

Aida Colon Sanchez eoc tech inovations

Business owners who are seeking application writers, security technology installation, or post-license security compliance audits, look no further, Aida Colon-Sanchez of EOC Technology Innovations is your gal. Aida is of Puerto Rican descent and is the former Deputy Coordinator for the City of Jersey City Office of Emergency Management/Homeland Security. She was the first Latina to hold that role, which she held for over a decade. Her business is a minority-, woman-owned technology company that focuses on public safety technology that includes surveillance cameras, 911 communications technology, body temperature cameras, and access control. In the last four years, she has integrated her public safety technology experience within the cannabis industry application security writing.

EVOLVE™ Design Company | 83 Hague Street, Suite B1

EVOLVE™ Design Company is an independent, full-service brand strategy and design consultancy that specializes in working with startups, businesses, and brands to gain a competitive advantage in the digital marketplace. The company is owned and operated by Ezekiel Rivera, who is of Nicaraguan and Dominican descent. EVOLVE™ Design is part of the EVOLVE™ family of companies which also include EVOLVE™ Print and EVOLVE™ Sourcing. As an organization, EVOLVE™ is a one-stop shop for brand strategy and development, strategic design, purpose-driven marketing, and specialized product development needs.

Find + Revive | Online

Find & Revive vintage jersey city

Jersey City BNR’s and childhood friends Kristian Herrera of Colombian and Guatemalan descent and Paige Rosales of Ecuadorian and Irish descent, fulfilled their dream of opening their own vintage online shop, Find & Revive. They officially launched the online store in July 2019, and have also been curating vintage pieces for Mint Market. They sell clothing that is unique and versatile.

Hybrid Coffee | 398 Manila Avenue

This coffee shop started off as a chic coffee truck, and due to it being wildly successful among residents, Evan Santiago, a Hoboken BNR, was able to open a brick-and-mortar location. Evan created the small menu himself, as well as handpicked and sometimes handcrafted every piece of furniture. Almost every dish on it reflects his personal and thoughtful approach. There is a “sopa,” he makes that consists of chicken soup loaded with celery, carrots, onions, kale, and plantain — a hybrid of Tuscan bean stew and Latin chicken soup, and a salute to his own Puerto Rican and Italian heritage.

Iggi Olorun | 332 Barrow Street

Iggi Olorun is a store that sells colorful candles, crystals of many sizes, bundles of sage, packets of herbs, books, and other items. The owner is Gino Blanco, but this store actually dates back to 1961. Gino’s grandmother, Anna founded this store, as a way to connect with the community.

Jacklyn Lune Photos | Online

Ashley Jacklyn is a Jersey City-raised and based photographer who is of Puerto Rican descent. Her photography is mainly focused on fashion and editorial work, lifestyle and stylized portraiture, and skin retouching. Jacklyn works with small businesses to create awesome content for their social media. She also has a mental illness called Generalized Anxiety Disorder that she openly talks about on her personal Instagram account @ashleyjacklyn.c.

KLADO – House of Brigadeiros | 135 Erie Street, Jersey City

jen prado klado house of brigadeiros

Jen Prado found a way to do something that she loves and is passionate about, all while paying homage to her Brazilian roots. Jen and her husband Jessie opened up KLADO, where she recreates her mother’s brigadeiros (Brazilan truffles) with a modern and eye-catching twist. Jen’s mother and father were her inspiration to start her own business. She has already been successful in opening her shop as well as being featured on the Discovery Channel’s “I QUIT” TV series.

La Brujeria | 590 Grand Street

la brujeria jersey city

Roberto Islas has been a resident of Jersey City for over 22 years and has worked in the Jersey City culinary scene for all of his career. After years of hustling in kitchen after kitchen — he most recently worked at Mezcal Kitchen — Roberto was thrilled to open a place of his own — La Brujeria. Roberto has stuck to his Mexico City roots and dishes out authentic Mexican food at this restaurant, located at 590 Grand Street.

Midnight Market | Jersey City

The very popular indoor Midnight Market was founded by Jersey City natives Perla Nieves and Alysis Vasquez who are of Dominican descent. Foodies, if you haven’t already been to The Midnight Market, make sure to buy tickets to the next one. Launched in 2016, the 21-and-over event takes place in the Harborside Atrium from 6:30PM-10PM and pre-COVID, it took place bi-monthly, featuring about 20 rotating food vendors for $5 or $7 a pop for each vendor’s food-tasting option. The event is hosted indoors during the winter months so that food vendors without a brick-and-mortar location have a space to showcase their goods.

Paloma Salon | 373 3rd Street

This chic salon brings Manhattan-style to the Chilltown area with relaxing, desert-like vibes, and affordable prices. Paloma was founded by Gisella Amaya who is of El Salvadoran descent and her husband Ken. The salon offers an array of cuts and colors for both men and women, including balayage, a dimensional look that can carry clients for months without having to touch up, as well as smoothing and keratin treatments that are formaldehyde-free, extensions, and regular and barber cuts.

Plus Thrift JC | Online

Megan

Megan, who is of Guatemalan descent with Mayan Roots, is a full-time social media manager for local businesses and co-founder of Plus Thrift JC. Her business partner Julie is also a Latina of Salvadoran descent. Plus Thrift JC curated plus-sized vintage clothing and accessories. Most items land between $15 to $25 and can be picked up locally or delivered nationally.

Salsa Fever On2 | 83 Franklin Street

Salsa Fever On2 is a Salsa dance academy that was founded in 2000 by Mario Gonzalez, who is of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent. Mario was born and raised in Hoboken and later moved to Jersey City with his wife Yvelisse. The academy offers dance classes to Hudson County locals with a structured curriculum that is conducive to all dance levels and offers classes for all Latin dances. His main intention for the dance studio is still to inform the students and give them the proper awareness of the history and keep to the authenticity of salsa dancing.

Socially Deviant Media | Jersey City

Megan, the co-founder of Plus Thrift JC, created a “one-stop social media MGMT shop” in March of this year — and she’s grown to have clients all over the world. Megan is of Guatemalan descent with Mayan Roots and specializes in social media.

SW3AT Sauna | 172 Newark Avenue, Jersey City + 79 Hudson Street, Suite 104, Hoboken

sw3at

This popular sauna studio is owned by veteran Alyza Brevard-Rodriguez who is of Puerto Rican descent and her wife Tamiah Rodriguez who is a Hoboken native. Each suite is comfortably spacious with plenty of towels, complimentary Wi-Fi, reading materials, and a towel cooler filled with lavender-infused towels, and water bottles. Every sauna is also equipped with built-in Bluetooth systems should you want to listen to music during your session. During a session, guests will enjoy the benefits of a complimentary added service called chromotherapy (also known as color therapy) which helps to regulate any emotional and mental imbalances. Alyza is also now working to open up a cannabis lounge in Jersey City.

Tails on Trails | Online

This pet care company is a Latina-run business that was founded by Judy Nunez who is of Dominican descent and a self-proclaimed pet-lover since birth. Tails on Trails has offered services to the Jersey City community since 2012, everything from daily small-group dog walks to private cat boarding services. In her spare time, Judy has been a stage manager for the local Jersey City arts community.

See More: Latinx Non-Profits + Resources in Northern New Jersey

Vegan AF | 291 Central Avenue

vegan af jersey city

This vegan, plant-based restaurant is owned and operated by a girlfriend/boyfriend duo, Norma Perez and William Toledo, who are of Ecuadoran descent. Both Jersey City residents, Norma came to the United States in 1998 at the age of 18 and has called Jersey City home ever since. The concept for Vegan AF came together when long-time friend and mural artist David (@distort) painted “Vegan AF” on the storefront, the rest was history. Vegan AF serves up breakfast and brunch all day, a “create-your-own” salad option, and 10 signature burgers, with customer favorites like hot jalapeño and guacamole burger, the teriyaki burger, and the Hottie from The Heights Burger.

Yahaira’s Hair Creation | 222 West Side Avenue

Yahaira, who is of Dominican descent, has been cutting, styling, and coloring hair in Jersey City for many years. Her salon offers several hair services for women and girls including cuts, styling, coloring, extensions, highlights, balayage, relaxer, and keratin treatments, as well as semi-permanent makeup treatments such as ombre brows, microblading, microshading, ombre lips, aquarelle lips, eyeliner, and lash lifts. You name it, her salon can do it!

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