{"id":15827,"date":"2026-05-05T12:48:04","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T19:48:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/intuitblog.com\/?p=15827"},"modified":"2026-05-06T11:58:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T18:58:05","slug":"la-bodega-market-intuit-ideas-small-business-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intuit.com\/blog\/life-at-intuit\/la-bodega-market-intuit-ideas-small-business-growth\/","title":{"rendered":"How La Bodega grew from a campus caf\u00e9 into a neighborhood anchor\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Check out the inspiring stories of Intuit IDEAS<\/a> program entrepreneurs who are making a difference in their communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building a business around family  <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jeannette and Ken didn\u2019t set out to build a multi-concept food business together. They set out to build a life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After meeting in San Francisco in 1993, the couple spent years working in restaurants and retail, often on nights and weekends. However, when they started thinking about having kids, they knew they wanted something different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe wanted to be with our family. We wanted to be with our kids,\u201d Jeannette says. \u201cI wanted a job from Monday to Friday so I could be home by 6 p.m.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That idea became Buenos D\u00edas Caf\u00e9, which they opened in 2013 on the campus of Georgia State University. The concept was simple: fresh, high-quality food, served during the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It worked. The caf\u00e9 became more than a place to eat. It became a space where students gathered, connected, and felt at home.\u201c We had a really strong community at Georgia State,\u201d Ken says. \u201cThey were like our kids\u2014without us paying for their tuition!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating something people didn\u2019t know they needed <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From the beginning, Jeannette and Ken approached food differently. Jeannette grew up in El Salvador on a small family farm, surrounded by fresh fruits and vegetables. That experience shaped how she thinks about food and community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI grew up in local markets,\u201d she says. \u201cSharing what you have with other people was part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the caf\u00e9, they noticed something quickly: students were looking for fresh food they couldn\u2019t find elsewhere. \u201cNobody else offered fresh vegetables downtown,\u201d Ken says. \u201cWe realized that was going to be our differentiation.\u201d That mindset carried forward as they expanded beyond the caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, La Bodega Market<\/a> is a community grocery and food space in Atlanta, offering local produce and packaged goods from other food entrepreneurs. It\u2019s become a place where people can access fresh food\u2014and discover something new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just to serve people,\u201d Jeannette says. \u201cIt\u2019s to find out what they actually need\u201d and provide access to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changing everything with a pandemic-era pivot<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Like many small businesses, the pandemic forced Jeannette and Ken to rethink what they were doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They began making pupusas, a Salvadoran flatbread stuffed with fillings like cheese, beans, and pork, for a local farmer\u2019s market. The response was positive and immediate, and what began as a pivot quickly became one of their biggest opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeannette and Ken expanded into new variations, including vegan, vegetarian, and breakfast pupusas, and began selling them frozen so customers could take them home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Jeannette, it became something bigger than a product. \u201cIt\u2019s a little bit of our country, a little bit of our culture,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing with Intuit IDEAS <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As the business grew, so did the complexity behind it. Through the Intuit IDEAS program, Jeannette and Ken gained software and support across financial management, marketing, and leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their QuickBooks software became especially important after they purchased their building, which introduced a new level of complexity. \u201cWe were already using QuickBooks,\u201d Ken says. \u201cBut buying the building brought in things we didn\u2019t understand.\u201d Working with a QuickBooks expert, he was able to clean up and better organize their books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeannette points to using Mailchimp as another area of growth. \u201cI had no idea how that was working. Now it\u2019s something we can use,\u201d she says, to create effective email marketing campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond tools, the coaching they received helped Jeannette rethink how she leads. She learned how to better manage employees with different expectations and how to balance her own high standards with where others are. \u201cIt\u2019s not just the numbers,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s also how you deal with people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giving back to the community  <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For Jeannette and Ken, the business has always been about more than what they sell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At La Bodega, they host pop-ups and share their kitchen with other food entrepreneurs, giving people a way to test ideas without the cost of opening a restaurant. Some go on to build businesses, while others realize they need more time and learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a permanent home now in place, Jeannette and Ken are focused on what comes next. They see opportunities to expand their products and grow La Bodega Market beyond Atlanta, while staying rooted in the same goal: building a business that serves both their family and their community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Intuit IDEAS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

IDEAS stands for Invest, Develop, Empower, Accelerate and Scale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intuit IDEAS is a program<\/a> empowering small business owners in cities across the United States to help improve entrepreneurs with their functioning, efficiency, earnings, and capital readiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through Intuit IDEAS, small business owners receive free access to Intuit’s AI-driven expert platform and products, including QuickBooks<\/strong>, Mailchimp<\/strong>, and TurboTax<\/strong>. In addition to support from Intuit’s expert network, Intuit IDEAS participants also receive business counseling, executive coaching, and a grant to help them grow their businesses. Small business owners are boosting their revenue by an average of 23% and saving 16.5 hours monthly, enabling them to focus on growing their businesses and make a bigger impact in their communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n