Mercado on Fifth celebrates Small Business Saturday in new Moline space

WQAD - On Nov. 26,  Mercado on Fifth opened up a new retail space for small business owners during Small Business Saturday.

"Today, we opened up the new Mercado building to let them have another opportunity to sell their products just ahead of the holiday season," said Mercado on Fifth's co-founder and President, Maria Ontiveros.

One seller, Austin Harned, who runs Quartz Botanicals, said he's grateful for all the non-profit has done for him and other small-business owners.

"I really can't put into words how much it meant to be at Mercado and get that opportunity," said Harned. "It put my products and my stuff out in front of a huge crowd of people."

And Maria Garcia, owner of Las Salsas Dona Mary's, said she hopes the opportunity to sell her Mexican cuisine at Mercado on Fifth, will help jumpstart the restaurant she is opening next month. 

"I'm trying to work full time for my future and for my kids and my family," said Garcia.

She's also a wife and a mother who is trying to teach her two children the value of working hard for their dreams.

"[My son] can try [to do anything he wants]," said Garcia. "If he likes this kind of business, he can work at with us or he can go to college and look at other jobs. He can learn how to work hard."

Garcia says her restaurant will be open at 1534 6th Ave in Moline in December. 

Harned's shop is located at 1515 5th Avenue in Moline.

Mercado Unveils Murals

On November 10, Mercado on Fifth unveiled three colorful murals that celebrate Hispanic culture on its newly renovated building.

The approximately 2,500-square-feet of murals feature a ballet folklorico dancer in a colorful gown, a field of marigold flowers and images inspired by Day of the Dead among other intricate details. The murals also pay homage to the organization’s history with a realistic portrait of Mercado on Fifth founder Bob Ontiveros’ grandfather Cirilo.

“We hope this mural inspires Hispanic cultural pride to the thousands of Latinos that call the Quad Cities home,” said Mercado President Maria Ontiveros. “The artwork is a gift to honor the community that has made Mercado on Fifth such a vibrant place to start the weekend.”

Mercado on Fifth partnered with Chicago-based artist Czr Prz to create the murals located at their new building off 4th Ave. just south of the Vibrant Arena. The artist and his team worked over a period of a month to complete the project. “We put a lot of trust into Czr to cover 3 sides of the building, and he did not let us down,” said Ontiveros. “The details are stunning.”

The media and community members were invited to the mural unveiling at the Mercado on Fifth building at 423 12th St. Moline, IL 61265 at 11:30 am on Thursday, November 10.

About the artist

Czr Prz (Caesar Perez) is a contemporary artist working in sculpture and large-scale aerosol murals. Born and raised in Chicago, Prz’s 20-year creative career has spanned North America and Europe. Prz enjoys telling stories with his artwork in the folkloric tradition instilled by his Latino-Caribbean upbringing. His colorful pieces balance the beauty of ancient and natural elements with futuristic surrealism and incorporate symbols culled from traditional sources and pop culture alike.

About the building

Having outgrown its location on Moline’s 5th Avenue, Mercado on Fifth is capitalizing on the momentum it’s experienced by expanding indoors. In late 2019, Mercado, in partnership with real estate development group West Gateway Partners LLC, purchased the former Car Shop Inc. at 423 12th St., Moline, adjacent to the organization’s outdoor property. Mercado and West Gateway, both managed by members of the Ontiveros family, are renovating the 6,300-square-foot building into a business incubator and event space.