A Latin-themed market-restaurant is opening in Dallas’ Lake Highlands. Called UniMarket, it’s a specialty grocery store and restaurant concept with roots in Canada, that’s opening at 7215 Skillman St. #312 in a former Palm Beach Tan location in the Kingsley Square complex at Walnut Hill Lane, that’s also home to LA Fitness.

UniMarket will be a gourmet market with food hall offering prepared food, coffee, and Latin products. Owners are brothers Richard and Esneyder Ospina, natives of Colombia who first debuted the concept in Canada in 2008, where they’ve opened three locations in Calgary.

Dallas will be their first store in the U.S., and will open in mid-fall.

“Dallas is a multicultural, growing city with a diverse restaurant scene and that was a deciding factor,” Esneyder says.

UniMarket started out as a modest grocery store but has evolved into a diverse culinary experience.

“We have been carefully curating items for 17 years and it is this expertise that has gotten us here,” Richard says.

The 2,800-square-foot space will include a full-service coffee bar with pastries, desserts, and breads; a kitchen counter where customers will be able to order food; and a gourmet market to shop. It’ll be open from 8 am-8 pm with seating for about 40 people.

The menu will include breakfast items such as chilaquiles, carne guisada with potatoes, breakfast bowls, and huevos pericos, which is a Colombian/Venezuelan dish with scrambled eggs, onions, peppers, and tomatoes.

At lunch and dinner, they will serve a whole host of Latin-American specialties including:

  • empanadas in many versions: Peruvian, Chilean, Venuzuelan, Columbian, criolla, and puff pastry, with fillings such as beef, chicken, spinach, mushroom, choriqueso, and plantain & cheese
  • Peruvian lomo saltado (sauté sirloin)
  • Brazilian picanha
  • Argentinian churrasco (grilled skirt steak)
  • Colombian bandeja paisa with white rice, red beans, ground beef, chorizo, crispy pork belly (chicharrón), a fried egg, fried ripe plantain, avocado, and an arepa.

“We will have a great vibe with Latin music in a friendly environment, with welcoming, comfortable, best-in-class service,” Esneyder says.

The market will offer specialty items from South America such as coffee, salsa, chiles, meats, tortillas, condiments, sodas, and frozen products including sweet treats.

“We are very proud to offer Latinos an opportunity for work and elevate the image of Latin food, offering an exceptional gourmet experience,” Richard says.