Story & Photography by
Annabella Mireles
Driving down Brown Street near Central El Paso, you’ll find a black building with signage reading “Gyros,” graffitied letters above the door frame reading “Beer,” “Groceries,” “Del,i” “Cold drinks,” and “Tattoo supplies” written in both English and Spanish, as well as handmade paper flower decorations hanging from the patio.
The building has served three different owners all with the same intention: serving the community.
Looking back at my childhood, I distinctly remember going weekly to Brown Street Market, which was then named Moon Grocery, and traveling from the East side with my grandfather rather than the Walmart around the corner. To some people, traveling that distance for groceries may sound odd, however, we weren’t going just for produce; but rather a personable experience at a local business that can’t be replicated.
From the Middle Eastern products grown by former owner Charlie Mansour to the neighborly feeling he brought to the store, it was no question why locals kept coming to him.
The market has a long history that dates back to being a grocery store since 1912.
For over 50 years, the market was run by two Asian brothers who then sold it to Mansour, who brought his Lebanese roots into the store. In 2020, Moon Grocery changed its name to Brown Street Market after being bought by Monico and Rebecca Acuña who have revamped the store into a local tiendita for all the neighborhood’s needs.
“Before Becky, I was a single dad and one of my kids lived with me, but when Becky and I got married, she brought herself and three mouths into the family,” Monico said. “I had told her how things were getting more expensive for us and said, ‘let’s start a business.’ She asked me how much money I had, and I pulled out all my money in my pocket and said, ‘$28,000.’ She told me I was crazy and I said, ‘challenge accepted’.”
The Acuñas, who had no prior history of running a grocery store, purchased the store because of the need they saw in the community after COVID brought hardships to many small businesses.
“I have no background in anything other than being a mom,” Rebecca said. “I was a stay-at-home mom for several years. So, when I got married to Monico, who’s an entrepreneur, he’s been in everything and done everything – I wanted to do as much as I can. So, the store has become my baby.”
Various items can be found at the Acuñas tiendita.
From typical groceries, to homemade champurado, CBD items, and tattoo supplies, the store is there for both the neighbors’ convenience and surprise.
“The history of this grocery store is still here. We don’t sell products, we sell personality. When people come in here, they tell us stories and we might sell $1.75 Jarritos to a customer and we’ll just sit here for two hours talking,” Monico said.
To add to their store’s charm, the Acuñas also make food in-house and are constantly adding new items to the menu, making familiar favorites like arroz con leche and international dishes like tabouli to introduce the community to new flavors while also paying homage to previous owners.
“We make sandwiches, gyros, and all kinds of infused foods,” Monico said. “We mix cuisines, so we make Mexican-Mediterranean foods or Asian-Mexican foods. I mix those together to create different options because as we’ve learned, you have to have your niche. I like cooking Asian cuisine, and I like cooking the Hispanic food I was raised on. Other than eating Mediterranean food, I’m not familiar with it, but Charlie Mansour gives me these recipes and I’ll make them. So, we’ll make hummus, baba ghanoush, and homemade tzatziki sauce.”
Another niche Brown Street Market has is their goal to be eco-friendly.
Monico, whose background is in environmental engineering, tackles his other job in environmental consulting and training while bringing home the importance of reuse, reduce and recycle by having soap refill stations at their store.
“Rebecca found this company called ‘And Refill’ and they make their own detergents here in El Paso,” Monico said. “We host that company here, so you can buy the whole gallon if you want to. We also have replacement gallons, or you can purchase it by the ounce. If you run out of dish soap and you’re in the neighborhood or don’t want to run to the store, run down here to the tiendita with your empty bottle.”
Not only does supporting Brown Street Market support a small locally-owned business, but it’s also supporting a family whose goal is to give back to the community as much as they can.
“You start to learn about your community,” Rebecca said. “It’s very family-oriented. People come in and tell us ‘Oh this person is sick’ or ‘this person needs this.’ It’s like you become a part of everyone’s lives, you hear everyone’s stories, and their ups and downs of life.”
“When I see somebody walking up the street, I know exactly what they want and they know what we have,” Monico said. “If someone comes in asking for a battery, or a padlock, or some rope and we don’t have it on the shelf, I’ll go back to my warehouse and sell them some. We’re trying to fill the needs of the community.”
Although Brown Street market has only existed since 2020, the Acuñas have continued the legacy of serving the community.
“It’s opening our home,” Rebecca said. “Yes, it’s our tiendita, but really, it’s anything you need. If we don’t have it on the floor, we’ll try and get it for you. It really is whatever need we see the community has. You build these relationships with the community over time, and it’s like they become your family.”
