el Grillo is now open at 13 S. American Way. Located in the space formerly occupied by the New Star Dance Studio, the grocery carries a full line of Hispanic food, personal, and cleaning products, along with many everyday necessities. The owner of the store, David Wolfe, hopes to draw customers from Monroe, Middletown, Hamilton, Lebanon, and West Chester with the store's emphasis on quick service in a modern, friendly environment. Signage and labeling in the store is in both English and Spanish, and the owners are bilingual. Customers can sit and enjoy a drink and a chat on the store's comfortable sofa, or use one of the store's computers to check their email or browse the internet. el Grillo is also a Girosol agent, enabling customers to wire money to another person anywhere in the U.S. or the world--and much cheaper than Western Union.

el Grillo--Spanish for "the cricket"--was chosen for the store's name as a friendlier, more modern alternative to the names typically given to latin stores (most customers simply call them all "the mexican store." It is shorter and more memorable. In Spanish, the letter combination ll is pronounced like the letter y, so grillo is pronounced like griyo.   The plan seems to be working. After only three weeks since opening, news of the store is already spreading by word of mouth, and the store already has some regular customers who stop in several times a week for their groceries, and hang out with other customers and the owners for a friendly chat. 

 Whether you need supplies for a Mexican dinner,  a quick snack, or a refreshing tropical soft drink, stop by el Grillo--your latin store. You're sure to be greeted with a smile.