Oct. 30, 2026
A new Cuban market has opened as the owner hopes to bring the culture and tastes of his home country to Sioux Falls.
Yurien Rodriguez opened Estrella Cuban Market recently at 1412 W. 41st St., in the same retail center as the longtime John’s Shoe Repair.
It is his second venture as a small-business owner. Rodriguez’s first store opened in Aberdeen in October 2025. The Cuban grocery store bills itself as a “Latino mini-market with authentic Cuban flavor” that offers “cold cuts, sweets, snacks and Latino foods for your daily life.”
His goal, Rodriguez said, is to offer “quality, variety and great service, all in one place.”
He has the same ambitions for Estrella Cuban Market, which was named after his mother.
In addition to canned and packaged foods, fresh products like softball-sized avocadoes and plantains, and refrigerated cheese and meats, people can bring parcels to be mailed to Cuba, Rodriguez said, speaking through an interpreter on the phone.
After successfully operating for almost a year in Aberdeen, Rodriguez decided it was time to expand. He chose Sioux Falls as the largest city in the area with an established population of Cuban immigrants but no competing market.
He wanted to bring some of his culture to Sioux Falls, he said.
“I want people to be open to try some Cuban food and see if they like it,” he said. “I have food they have never seen.”
Estrella Cuban Market also offers ground coffee. Rodriguez uses an importer from Florida for the products he offers and promises fresh products every week. His display of goods also offers a selection of Cuban colognes.
Rodriguez is a co-owner of the Aberdeen grocery but the sole owner of the Sioux Falls market.
“The benefits of being the owner is that you can control your time, and you can also see your company grow,” he said.
Rodriguez, 32, came to the United States more than four years ago. He originally settled in Aberdeen because other family members already live there.
“In Cuba, I didn’t have any opportunity to become somebody,” he said. “Now, I have an opportunity to give a better life to my family and to create a family.”
Estrella Cuban Market is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. It is closed on Mondays.
