New Lonja Square aims to be the Southside's multi-cultural night market
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A disclaimer that would only make sense in a place like San Antonio greets social media wanderers who land on the just-launched Instagram page for Lonja Square: "Sorry we can only have one taco vendor!" It's not that owner-chef Alejandro Paredes doesn't like tacos, the ones he makes — actually, his entire menu — are so good they recently earned high marks from the New York Times.
He just wants his new idea, a weekend night market, to be a full, varied plate of San Antonio's food scene. That means Cubano sandwiches, Indian indulgences, sausages, and whatever else he can fit at his Southside spot. While Lonja Square aims to offer a bit of everything, alcohol is the exception.
Starting Friday, June 10, the patio area of his Carnitas and Fish Lonja business (Paredes has combined the two concepts under one roof) will transform into "Lonja Square." Paredes is in the process of installing seven vendor stalls on a lot at 1107 Roosevelt for a melting pot market.
"I'm trying to do something for the neighborhood," Paredes tells MySA. "We want it to be very local, very community-based."
He says vendors will be able to set up during the day, sell throughout the night, and then must be able to pack up and be mobile at the end of the evening. The format lends to pop-up-style businesses. Food market visitors will be able to use the patio benches and restrooms.
"It's going to be a kind of weekend warrior kind of thing," Paredes adds. "You know, like people that have regular jobs during the day and they have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to sell their food. That's basically what we want to do."
Vendors are asked to make at least a three-day commitment to Lonja Square. If they want to sign on for the entire month, they can. Paredes says vendors will pay $200 to sell for three days. The best way to contact him is through Instagram or Facebook.
Food hall concepts are popping up throughout the city since Pearl's Bottling Department opened in 2017. There's now a Southside food hall at Tech Port Center and Arena as well as the upcoming Make Ready Market at River North.
Paredes says he's not trying to compete with any of that, he just wants to create something for the community south of Southtown. He says the night market will be different than what some diners grew accustomed to as San Antonio's food scene evolved.
"Sometimes you only want a sandwich or a couple of things and you end up spending $50 or $60," he says. "We want to make it very affordable, very easy. Where you come in, eat, and go, and there's not much more to it."