Cover Story: Recipe for Success Bravo Supermarkets

A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

BRAVO SUPERMARKETS:

Friendly Staff, Humble Beginnings, and a Legacy of Entrepreneurship

For Keila Garcia and Sergio Ureña, owners of Bravo Supermarkets, Hispanic Heritage Month is a perfect opportunity to celebrate the shared experiences of Hispanic residents and honor their collective journeys in their efforts to come to Central Florida.

Due to Hurricane Ian, Bravo Supermarkets held their first annual Hispanic Heritage Festival which was rescheduled to November 6, 2022. Hosted in the Plaza Sanford, the free event included food, music, raffles, face painting, and networking with local businesses. Mayor Art Woodruff of Sanford joined the Volusia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to do the event’s ribbon cutting. My Sanford Magazine was

Ribbon cutting from the first annual Sanford Hispanic Heritage Festival. l-r: Sergio Ureña, Keila Garcia, and Mayor Art Woodruff Hardworking staff Kritzia Romero (left) and Carolina Rodriguez

l-r: Sergio Ureña, Perla Bello-Crosby, Keila Garcia, Mayor Art Woodruff, and Joseph Hearn, VP Volusia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (VHCC)

present as one of the many event sponsors. “This is only the beginning,” Keila reveals. Moving forward, she plans to host many more events, including future iterations of the Hispanic Heritage Festival. “I’m always thinking about how to grow in this city.”

Keila and her brother Sergio grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, some who have been owners of supermarkets. "My brother and I also owned a supermarket and we took advantage of the experience we already had in that area and decided to open the very first Bravo Supermarket in Sanford. We’ve always worked together,” Keila shared with me. “He’s my best friend.” The two make quite a team.

Quickly after opening in 2007, Bravo has developed a reputation for a vast selection of hard-to-find Hispanic goods such as authentic Jamaican bread, imported Venezuelan soda, and cut-on-demand meat. She is particularly proud of their house-made sofritas. But it’s more than food. In her hiring, she tells me “I look for the people who love to cook, and when they cook you can see their smile.” These are the ones who will take pride in their role as they help others gather the ingredients necessary to provide food for their own families. As the owner, Keila also feels it is very important to encourage her staff to not only do their job well, but to feel comfortable, and enjoy what they do. “It’s all about creating a good atmosphere, a family feeling,” she shares, “It’s hospitality.”

Believe it or not, when Bravo Supermarkets was just getting its start, the Hispanic population in Sanford was decreasing. Today, Keila shares, “the city is alive again” and more and more Hispanic folks are flocking to Central Florida, with increased access to housing and more urban development. This growth has facilitated the need for additional Bravo locations in surrounding areas like Longwood and Casselberry (with others on the way). It also has increased the need for more awareness projects and events, like the Hispanic Heritage Festival to serve the growing community.

How do we continue this growth? Keila believes a big part of it is keeping the community together. “I am the woman I am today because I come from a family that is always together. Family has taught me to always look for solutions, to always feel that I can do what I put my mind to,” she said. Beyond this, Keila sees that further development and economic opportunities will continue to attract members of the Latin community to the Central Florida area. Lack of good healthcare and housing have always stood in the way of growth. She continues, “There are always opportunities to make our community better. If we don’t seek these out, Sanford will just stay the same.”

Next time, consider buying your groceries from Bravo Supermarkets. Keep an eye out for future events that Keila is planning to help support our growing city and the Latin community. n

Allison van Tilborgh is an executive at Four Rivers Media, headquartered in Sanford, FL. She writes extensively on business, religion, and food through her writings on Medium, The Sanford Vegan, Inspire Magazine, AVAIL Journal, Thrive Today Journal, Historic Downtown Sanford, and My Sanford Magazine. She is the founder of The Sanford Vegan and Interfaith Now.