La Bodega: Building Community Through Food and Connection

Jeanette Flores-Katz, and her husband, Ken Katz, have spent decades working side by side in the food industry. They met over 30 years ago while working at the same restaurant and quickly discovered how well they worked together. Today, they own and operate La Bodega, a community-focused market and restaurant in Atlanta, inspired by Jeanette’s love of fresh food and the vibrant markets she grew up with in El Salvador.

After launching their first restaurant in 2013, they hit their stride, serving hundreds of customers daily. But everything changed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “We went from 450 lunch orders a day to just 20,” Jeanette recalls. Faced with tough decisions, they pivoted, shifting their focus to Buena Dias, their second business, selling Salvadoran pupusas at farmers markets.

“Farmers markets gave us a way to reconnect with people who knew us from our restaurant,” Ken explains. The couple realized that even though their first restaurant had to close, they could keep their brand alive by showing up in new places. Today, La Bodega and Buena Dias exist side by side—each with its own purpose but both rooted in a shared love of food and community.

Looking to grow their business and strengthen community ties, Jeanette and Ken joined Beltline Business Ventures (BBV), a small business accelerator from the Atlanta Beltline Solutions Office in partnership with The Center and CVM Worldwide. “BBV has reminded us how essential it is to network. We’re reconnecting with people we haven’t seen in years and building new relationships that are already helping us grow,” said Jeanette. “Networking is like planting a seed—you have to care for it over time if you want to see it grow.”

Though La Bodega sits just outside the Beltline, BBV has also shown them how to align with the development and benefit from the area’s growth. This focus on long-term success helped them reach a major milestone—purchasing their own commercial property with support from Invest Atlanta—which has given them the stability to upgrade equipment, expand production, and prepare for wholesale sales through QVC.

For Jeanette, running La Bodega is about more than serving food—it’s about creating a sense of belonging. The couple regularly hosts pop-up events to give other entrepreneurs a taste of what it’s like to run a business. They also pay close attention to their customers’ needs, letting the community guide what they offer.

Reflecting on her journey, Jeanette explains that food is only part of what keeps people coming back to La Bodega. “Everyone comes for a different reason,” she says. “Some people love the coffee, others come for the conversations, and some just feel at home here.” Creating a space where people feel seen and welcomed is what matters most to her.

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