2nd Street Market to unveil new Mexican street-food vendor

The 2nd Street Market in downtown Dayton will introduce its newest food vendor next month — and the co-founder of the new venture is a familiar face to market-goers.

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Jennifer Herrera and husband Santiago Herrera are poised to open "Napales," which will sell Mexican street food, with a menu of tacos, tamales, flautas and salad bowls, according to Jennifer Herrera, who has worked at The Chef Case, also at the 2nd Street Market, for six years.

“We’re shooting for a mid-June opening — probably June 10,” Herrera said.

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Napales will be a full-time vendor, which means a full Thursday-through-Sunday schedule. The market is adding Sunday hours on a trial basis in early June.

Santiago Herrera serves as executive sous chef at NCR Country Club.

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“My husband and I have thought about opening a family business — it’s been a dream of ours for several years, but it has always been on the back burner,” Herrera said.

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When an opportunity presented itself, the couple seized it. Their Napales booth will be nestled between All Souped Up and Sweet P’s, just a few vendors spaces away from the Chef Case, where Jen Herrera honed her craft.

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Chef Case co-founder and chef Joe Fish said he’s proud of Herrera and her husband for taking the leap.

The new Napales will offer house-made chips, guacamole, and three different kinds of salsas, among other menu items.

The 2nd Street Market is a facility of Five Rivers MetroParks. For more information, check out the 2nd Street Market Facebook page.

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