What began as a risky idea in a Sacramento alley has grown into a hub for Hispanic culture, entrepreneurship, and economic opportunity.<\/p>\n
At 24th and K streets sits Midtown’s Cantina Alley, which anchors a collection of businesses where visitors can experience Mexican culture, shop from local entrepreneurs and support a growing network of Hispanic-owned businesses.<\/p>\n
Cathy Rodriguez with the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce remembers<\/a> when Cantina Alley was little more than an unconventional proposal before the Sacramento City Council.<\/p>\n “I was at City Council when they were coming in saying, we’re going to build this in an alleyway. And then people thought they were nuts,” Rodriguez said.<\/p>\n Today, Cantina Alley\u00a0<\/a>is part of a growing destination that also includes Abuela’s Midtown<\/a>, a Caf\u00e9 and speakeasy and La Placita MX\u00a0<\/a>by Cantina Alley, a space where other small businesses can sell their products.<\/p>\n Oscar Escobar, General Manager of Cantina Alley, said the goal was to create something distinctive that reflected the owners’ roots.<\/p>\n “We wanted to be different than, all of the restaurants and, unique and most importantly, we wanted to showcase who we are and where we come from,” Escobar said.<\/p>\n The businesses have helped transform the area into a place where people can celebrate Mexican culture while supporting local entrepreneurs. Rodriguez said the benefits extend beyond the businesses themselves.<\/p>\n “When they bring people here to shop and be and, you know, celebrate culture, it spills out to the rest of the restaurants and businesses that are here, and this is a huge economic driver,” Rodriguez said.<\/p>\n Just across K Street, Latina entrepreneur Lorena Martinez has her own story of taking a small idea and building it into something much larger.<\/p>\n Nearly 16 years ago, Martinez opened The Colour Bar\u00a0<\/a>in a roughly 100-square-foot studio with a single chair.<\/p>\n “My first location. I think it was about a 100 square foot,” Martinez said. “It was very small. It was one chair. We couldn’t even move the chair. So, it was barely for one person.”<\/p>\n Martinez eventually opened a second location in East Sacramento before moving to Midtown’s K Street, where she opened her current salon in 2016. The Colour Bar has since gained international recognition.<\/p>\n “The younger self in me would be a little bit like, wow, we did that,” Martinez said.<\/p>\n But Martinez wanted to build more than a successful salon. She also wanted to create a high-end space where first-generation Latinas could feel represented.<\/p>\n The Colour Bar has become a training ground for other stylists as well. Martinez said nearly 40 stylists have worked there, with some eventually opening salons of their own.<\/p>\n “There’s been a couple of the stylists have their salons now that mimic the growth that I did, and they were able to replicate it,” Martinez said.<\/p>\n Their success reflects a larger trend across the Greater Sacramento region.<\/p>\n The Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Hispanic Economic Report, which used U.S. Census Bureau data, found the region had more than 31,000 Hispanic-owned businesses in 2022.<\/p>\n From 2018 to 2022, the number of Hispanic-owned businesses grew 24.2%, compared with 6.8% for businesses overall. Hispanic-owned businesses with employees grew even faster, nearly 52%, compared with 10% overall.<\/p>\n Rodriguez said those numbers tell only part of the story. Behind the data are business owners who are creating opportunities for others as they grow.<\/p>\n “When you talk to these business owners, it’s not just like, ‘Here’s my success and this is what I’m building.’ As they’re building, they’re bringing others with them,” Rodriguez said.<\/p>\n For Escobar, the lesson for aspiring entrepreneurs is to believe in what they are building and embrace where they come from.<\/p>\n “It’s not easy, to, run a business, but it does bring you a lot of satisfaction. So anything you do, put your heart unapologetically. Be yourself. Be proud. Be proud of your roots and what you do because you have to believe in what you do. If you don’t believe in it, nobody else will,” Escobar said.<\/p>\n Martinez said she is encouraged by the growing number of Hispanic-owned businesses and what that growth means for the region.=<\/p>\n “I’ve seen a lot an increase of Hispanic businesses and I love that because it creates community,” Martinez said.<\/p>\n Together, the businesses at 24th and K streets show how an idea that once seemed risky can grow into something much bigger, a place where culture is celebrated, entrepreneurs are supported, and success creates opportunities for others.<\/p>\n Watch more: From teen mom to American River College’s first Latina president | Hispanic Heritage Month<\/a><\/p>\n