If you want to stock up on empanadas and arepas before Colombian Independence Day on July 20, De Todo Mijo should be your first stop. The family-owned grocery store, which opened on Kentucky Street in early 2024, sells Colombian foods and brands that are otherwise hard to find in Whatcom County.
“I’ve noticed that there’s more Colombians coming to town, and they’re looking for a place where they will get all their stuff,” said Paloma Ortiz, who runs De Todo Mijo with her parents, Fernando Ortiz and Patricia Barrera. “As somebody who is Colombian, when I moved here seven years ago, there was no way I could find anything like this. I would have to go all the way to Seattle.”
Paloma and her family prepare foods including empanadas, breakfast burritos and caldo de carne (stew with beef, potato and cilantro) at a nearby commissary kitchen. Other items like obleas (wafers stuffed with fillings like caramel, cheese, Nutella or berries), pan de bono (cheese bread), pan de yuca and caramel pastries are made on-site.
In addition to food, De Todo Mijo has coffee and drinks such as aguapanela, made with sugar cane and lemon, as well as a small selection of imported hand-woven bags. They also sell sought-after Colombian goods and brands, including P.A.N. flour for arepas and sweets like Bon Bon Bums (lollipops), all purchased through an importer in Bellevue.
“I have plenty of friends from school who come here, and they’re from other places in South America, and they’re like, ‘Oh, this food is so good,’” Paloma said. “They can compare it to other things that they have in their own country. They’re like, ‘This tastes kind of like what I used to eat for Christmas when I was there!’”
De Todo Mijo isn’t the Ortiz family’s first business at 784 Kentucky St. They previously operated a smoothie shop called Go Natural Foods in the same space, which was then replaced by Colombian coffee shop COF&. When COF& moved to a new space on Cornwall Avenue, the Ortiz family decided to try their hand at a different venture.
This fall, the Ortizes plan to expand De Todo Mijo to include a barbershop specializing in Colombian-style fades. They also plan to host and attend more events, with the soonest being an Independencia de Colombia celebration in Redmond.
But even as the business’ offerings evolve, its core remains the same. Paloma said De Todo Mijo is a true family affair: “Like, my grandma’s always here with us. And my parents come here and have breakfast, and we all sit around and talk about it and plan the day.”
Paloma graduated from Western Washington University last month and helps her parents run the store. In addition to day-to-day operations, she often translates for her mother, who is learning English, and handles De Todo Mijo’s outreach and social media.
And while De Todo Mijo has become a hub for local Colombians, the shop also gives the wider Bellingham community a window into the country’s traditions and culture. Paloma uses Instagram to share not just food photos and business updates but popular Colombian figures of speech: For example, “las cuentas claras y el chocolate espeso,” or “clear accounts and thick chocolate,” is a way to reaffirm understanding.
Paloma said Colombian culture is similar to that of other Latin American countries, characterized through boisterousness, hospitality and a good sense of humor. Food, music and art reflect a mix of Indigenous, European and African influences; however, the country’s regions have strong individual identities. (The most common misconception Paloma hears is that all Colombians have a Paisa accent, when in reality, the country’s accents are very diverse.)
But for the Ortizes, family is at the heart of Colombian culture, as well as their business.
“It’s very about having their support, and always making family the most important thing,” she said. “Like, for example, this business being a family business — I support my parents 100 percent with it, and I’m here with them. So it’s been nice to just have that, and share it with them.”
De Todo Mijo is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday–Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at 784 Kentucky St. Info: instagram.com/detodomijo_bham.
Cocoa Laney is CDN’s lifestyle editor; reach her at cocoalaney@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 128.
