12-13-2025 4:34pm

Latino market in old Bowie among first new businesses in historic area

El Globo Minimart, pictured Dec. 5, 2025, is located at 13031 9th Street in Bowie. Nicole Ramos/The Bowie Sun

BOWIE, Md. - As a steady stream of customers trickled into the newly opened El Globo Minimart in Bowie’s historic Old Town on a recent Sunday, they were warmly greeted by the owners, who live just minutes from the store.

Owners Blanca Sandoval and Luis Manuel Guzman spent a year renovating the 71-year-old building on Ninth Street, formerly an antique store, transforming it into a market specializing in Latin American foods.

There are rows of dried chiles, snacks and pantry items from around the world, appealing to the area’s growing international population. Some customers have even requested hard-to-find flour from Africa.

“We have been very well received by the community, by everyone – white, Black and Hispanic. We have had a lot of support, and they like our store,” Sandoval said.

City officials hope that El Globo, which opened in July, will be one of the first of many new businesses to revitalize Old Town Bowie.

“It’s very much needed,” said Tiara Andrews, a business retention specialist in the city’s economic development office.

Few retail businesses exist in the heart of old Bowie, once a bustling railroad stop.

El Globo was among the first new businesses to open there this year. The new Verache Lounge specializing in West African cuisine, has undergone changes and plans to reopen Dec. 19, owner Kola Siwajuola confirmed.

There are other hints that old Bowie is in flux. Old Town now has its own farmers market and a festival there last year attracted a record number of visitors.

An effort to rebrand Old Town officially kicked off in the fall during the Old Bowie Celebrates Festival. Known as Crafted in Bowie, the goal is to establish a creative district that attracts aspiring entrepreneurs and more foot traffic.

Inncuvate Community Development Partners Inc. is the nonprofit contracted by the city to implement the strategy to revitalize old Bowie. The plan currently is focused on recruiting entrepreneurs and organizing events such as pop-up shops and a mural program.

Mark Lawrence, the president of Inncuvate, and a Bowie resident, said businesses and others had a say in how the neighborhood should evolve. Inncuvate hosted stakeholder sessions, formed a community-based steering committee, and conducted outreach to residents and businesses in the Bowie area.

Based on the feedback, Lawrence envisions “a maker district where small-scale craft manufacturers and creatives can grow and build their products.” He added, “We want to create that pseudo main street, light-scale manufacturing, pop-up cultural arts center that the residents could enjoy.”

Commercial lot for sale in old Bowie

Real estate is the biggest obstacle to redesigning Old Town Bowie, Lawrence said during a city council presentation in February. Getting in touch with property owners, some of whom don’t live in Bowie, and getting them on board with the new vision has been difficult, he explained.

Inncuvate continues to reach out to old Bowie commercial property owners on behalf of the city to discuss selling or leasing possibilities.

Commercial real estate across the city is limited because existing businesses here tend to stay long-term, Andrews said. However in November, a commercial lot just over one and a half acres popped up for sale.

The minimart isn’t affiliated with Crafted in Bowie, but Lawrence is confident that the store will benefit from business growth in the area.

“They actually increased and showed the possibility that there is energy around Old Town Bowie," Lawrence said.

Sandoval and Guzman admit it can get lonely and quiet in the neighborhood, especially at night, so they try to play music and bring a little more joy to their corner.

They’ve even done their part to bring in another local business to the neighborhood, a food truck called La Esquina, which sets up in their parking lot on Saturdays and sells tacos and hot dogs. It’s been a hit so far with their customers, especially the firefighters at the Old Bowie fire station across the street.

“We want more joy, more businesses, and more commerce,” Sandoval said.

Nicole Ramos is a journalism student who covers Bowie as part of the University of Maryland Howard Center for Investigative Journalism.