Esperanza Domingo has been selling hand-stitched clothes in her Covington neighborhood since 2015. As time passed, the demand for her clothing increased, prompting her to consider opening a storefront.
Nearly ten years later, Esperanza and her husband Rafael have their own business, Tienda Tipicos Esperanza, where they sell her clothes and Hispanic food items. Tienda Tipicos translates to typical store in English. Located at 1930 Madison Ave., the store is divided into two: half clothing retailer and half convenience store.
Rafael attributed the idea for the business to Esperanza, who already had years of experience as a tailor.
“It was Esperanza who started it first, even with the clothing, but she was the one who initiated it all,” Rafael said.
The City of Covington hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Tienda Tipicos Esperanza on Friday to welcome the business to the city. Esperanza spoke in Spanish during the ceremony, which her cousin, Dalya Hernandez, translated for the audience.
“I’m thankful for my husband for helping me out,” Esperanza said. “As a little girl, I always saw my parents as the ones who started the business, too.”
Hailing from Guatemala, the Domingos wanted to create a space to support Covington’s growing Hispanic population. As of 2023, Latin American people are nearly the second-largest minority population in Northern Kentucky across all three counties, according to U.S. Census data.
“We want to invite the people of Covington and Newport, and Florence and the Cincinnati area,” she said. “You guys are all welcome here.”
On the clothing side of the store, customers will find racks of colorful, hand-sewn Guatemalan textiles adorned with traditional patterns. Other apparel items sold at the store include scarves, dresses, sweaters and skirts that Esperanza tailored.
The convenience store featured canned food goods, chips, sodas and other food items, as well as shampoos, soaps and household items from well-known Latin brands.
Hernandez told LINK nky that the response from the community has been positive.
“They’re just happy for them,” she said. “It’s something new. Our people are happy for them.”
According to Kenton County property records, the building was originally constructed in 1910 and is owned by ZW Properties. At one point in time, the building was used as a bank as the interior features a large vault.
