El Merkury to bring Guatemalan street food to Reading Terminal Market
El Merkury at the Market will be a deli selling fresh tortillas, pupusas, elote, and made-to-order churros as well as salsas and pickles for people who want to build a meal at home.
Sofia Deleon, who brought Guatemalan street food to Center City in 2018 with El Merkury, will branch out in April with a stand at Reading Terminal Market, across from DiNic’s and the center court seating area. The space formerly housed Condiment, which closed in summer 2020.
Deleon describes El Merkury at the Market as a deli selling fresh tortillas, pupusas, elote, and made-to-order churros as well as salsas and pickles for people who want to build a meal at home or eat in the seating area. Most notably, this location will serve breakfast and coffee.
Deleon, a native of Guatemala who moved to the United States for college and a career in food marketing, started her business with deliveries, weekly pop-ups, and event catering.
The Reading Terminal Market setup will make the brand name literal, as Deleon says “El Merkury” is broken Spanish for “the market.”
Her stand will add to the market’s Latin and Caribbean offerings, including Loco Lucho’s Latino Kitchen (Puerto Rican food) and Careda’s Caribbean Cuisine (Jamaica and other islands).