Snack Around the World at It's a Bodega

"It's a Bodega's mission is to provide people with the experience of traveling around the world through snacks and beverages," explains owner KC Christian, who began the venture as an online store and originally used the former Be a Good Person office space at 1045 Lincoln Street for storage. Eventually, he began letting shoppers in by appointment only, and soon decided to open it up to the public.

Anyone can visit now, if you can find your way inside. The space is located next door to Roostercat Coffee House. A small sign above a keypad instructs you to dial a phone number to get the code that will unlock the door. Then you'll make your way down a short hallway, through a door and down a bit more to Suite 107, where you'll find snack-time happiness in the form of international chips, candy, soda, cereal and more.

As a child visiting family on the East Coast, Christian would shop neighborhood corner stores. His love for imported foods and drinks kept growing, and he'd seek out new-to-him treats like Japanese Hi-Chews. After a trip to London in 2019, he shared his favorite snacks from across the pond with friends and realized that others, too, were interested in the variety of snack foods available throughout the world.

"Trying new foods allows you to put yourself in someone else's shoes and eat what they are enjoying on a daily basis that you may not otherwise ever experience," notes Christian. "We may not be able to walk in other people's shoes, but we can certainly taste what other people eat."