LAKE GENEVA — Jonathan Correa built La Cosecha Tortilla Company's reputation at the weekly Lake Geneva Farmers Market for years. He will soon open a restaurant near Delavan Lake to feed the demand all week.
"I have a great consistent customer base who keeps asking me if I'm going to open up a brick-and-mortar," Correa said. "Pretty much every week, they say, 'You need to open up a store.'"
La Cosecha will open its first brick-and-mortar tortilleria and restaurant next to Riga-Tony's Delicatezzi Italiano off of Highway 50. Correa hopes it can open within the next three weeks.
Correa, who is from nearby Sharon and graduated from Big Foot High School, will still maintain a presence at the Lake Geneva Farmers Market after the restaurant opens.
"It's really been beautiful to see how the local food moment has continued to grow out and how farmers markets like Lake Geneva give us the opportunity to get in front of people," Correa said.
He said handing out samples of salsa at the farmers market is one of the main ingredients for La Cosecha's success. Visitors such as Anastasia Kukla of Elkhorn instantly became fans of Correa's cooking once they had a taste.
"It is fantastic, the best salsa," said Kukla, who tried his salsa for the first time Thursday and bought several jars of it on the spot. "I compare it to restaurant quality, it is so good. I'll definitely be at his restaurant buying more salsa, for sure."
La Cosecha is not the first food business to launch from the Lake Geneva Farmers Market. Michael Anganos of Williams Bay started selling Yaya's Greek Almond Dip at the farmers market a decade ago, which you can now find at grocery stores such as Sendik's and Fresh Thyme.
"When you do the farmer's markets, the stores say, 'How about you come here?'" Anganos recalled. "It's a progression."
Anganos and Yaya's still has a popular presence at the farmers market. His stall is next to Correa's and he has mentored him on how to build La Cosecha's brand beyond Broad Street.
"He was actually the guy who bought some of my first tortillas," Correa said.
"If you don't give back what has been freely given to you, you need to check yourself," Anganos said.
The Lake Geneva Farmers Market happens every Thursday morning between May and October in and around Horticultural Hall.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
