By Kirk Dickey

Wednesday, September 8, 2004 10:27 AM CDT

Mexican food market owner Maria Lancaster smiles beside an isle of popular products Tuesday at her La Fiesta Market on Race Street in Searcy. One of only two Latin food stores in the area, La Fiesta is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. Photo/Philip Holsinger

Maria and David Lancaster saw a need and decided to fill it.

The couple, who moved to Arkansas from Texas in 1994, discovered they had to travel to Little Rock to buy Mexican food products outside of a restaurant. It took a 45-minute trip to get the dried chilis, corn husks and chorizo that Maria and her mother needed to make enchiladas, a staple, she said of her family's diet in Texas.

"We could just buy enchiladas in Texas," she said. "We couldn't do that here."

So in 1999, the couple decided to take a chance and open their own "mercado," or market. Five years later, the market has moved from its original location in Bald Knob to Searcy, but it continues to provide unique products for the area.

One of two Latin food stores now in the area, La Fiesta Mercado will mark its fifth anniversary in White County this weekend with a celebration at the store. A local Hispanic radio station, La Consintada 1350AM, will broadcast from the store from 1-3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 11. Maria said the store plans to give away a 20-inch television, as well as traditional drinks and snacks.

Maria said she just wanted to give something back to the community after it had supported the store for the past few years.

She said the store started with nothing, emphasizing the word "nothing."

"Little by little, we tried to get these things that people need," she said. "It has grown thanks to the grace of God."

The store started in Bald Knob five years after David's job with Union Pacific transferred him to Little Rock. Maria said they were warned off of living in Little Rock because of crime and decided to live in Searcy.

She said she noticed right away that Hispanic food products were difficult to find and began having products shipped to her so she could have a taste of home.

"When I traveled to Texas, I would bring back things that I needed," she said.

Finally, the idea struck her to open her own store to provide the products she knew others wanted as well. The couple had been looking for a place to open the store in Searcy, when they ran across a shop in Bald Knob and made the leap.

"We just saw a need for it and decided to take a chance," she said.

Customers like Flor Cruz and Christie Martin appreciate it. The two Harding students frequent the store to buy products they cannot find anywhere else.

"I don't really like American food," Cruz said, adding that she could get products she likes at the store.

For Martin, La Fiesta Mercado is a place to keep in touch, not only with Latin culture, but more directly with her family and friends in Panama. Martin said the market sells international calling cards at a much better price than other stores.

"Students from other countries come here too," Martin said, "because we can find the cards here."

Maria said the store has done well for itself in the past few years by providing those things people cannot find elsewhere.

"We go through ups and downs just like any other business," she said, "but we have been blessed."

White County Government