Ricardo

Our Story

Pablo and Carlos, two life-long friends from Puebla, Mexico started La Conasupo 20 years ago to bring hard- to-find Mexican specialty groceries and authentic Mexican taqueria food to Seattle’s Mexican population.Even today, La Conasupo is one of the few restaurants that serves authentic lamb barbacoa and consomé just like they're prepared in the markets of Mexico. Besides the barbacoa, the tingas, chicharron and carnitas are also customer favorites.These are authentic recipes seldom found in the Seattle area.

People often ask the meaning of La Conasupo. Conasupo is an acronym of “Compañía Nacional de Subsistencias Populares” and was the name of a government-subsidized supermarket chain throughout Mexico from the 1960’s to 1990’s. La Conasupo is a household name in Mexico; therefore, the logical choice to name a Seattle grocery store that provides products you’d find at home in Mexico.

In 2020, the original founders began talking about retiring and going back home to Mexico. Ricardo, who had known Pablo for 10 years, became unemployed during the pandemic and decided to buy the restaurant.Now Ricardo runs La Conasupo, with help from his son, daughter-in-law, friend and a few employees.

Seattle’s La Conasupo has been a well-kept secret in the Greenwood neighborhood up until recently. It was like a special club that only Spanish-speakers knew about.English-speaking locals had no idea of its existence until the Ricardo began making changes to make the store and restaurant more visible and inviting to everyone.

If you’d like to experience the real market-style food of Mexico, we invite you to drop in for a visit and try one of our delicious quesadillas or tacos. Make sure you come hungry, because the portions are huge.