25 Oct A Hint of Home: Mercado Azteca & Deli, the Spirit of Mexico, Found in Peekskill
By Joshua Anderson for the Peekskill Business Improvement District
At Mercado Azteca & Deli, the welcoming smiles of the staff, await to greet you and take your order. Authentic Mexican products and foods line the aisles and a mountain of fresh guacamole sits behind the glass enclosure.
Overlooking the counter, steak sizzles on the grill as a staffer calmly repeats a phone order in Spanish. It’s a place that doesn’t shout for attention; Mercado Azteca & Deli is found through a loyal customer, a friend or by happenstance.
Luis Galindo, the man who has quietly run this place for nearly two decades, didn’t come to Peekskill to make headlines. He came to build something that lasts, a business with impact.
Located in Peekskill at 1101 Main Street in The Crossroads Plaza, Mercado Azteca is part Mexican restaurant, part deli, and part grocery store. The business has been here since 2006. For many Mexicans, it’s a refreshing and comforting reminder of home.
Galdino’s story starts with long hours, steady work and no shortcuts. He came to Yonkers, NY from Mexico, and then found his way to Peekskill through a friend who worked at Amici’s Pizzeria on North Division Street.
He was asked to work a shift at the pizzeria. Quitting his job in Yonkers, Galdino took the risk and made the decision to take the opportunity on a moment’s notice. He started in 1994 and worked 14 years making pizza before opening his own business in 2006.
Galdino and his brother found the location in PennySaver (yes, a throwback publication) and decided to open Azteca. Two years later, the partnership ended but Galdino stayed. For years, from dusk until dawn, he was the first car in the parking lot each morning, the last to leave at night. That dedicatiom, commitment and discipline led to his success.
“A lot of stress, a lot of sacrifice,” Galdino continued. “I never lost faith in God. He’s the one that gives me patience.”
Faith was his anchor, but his work ethic is what built the foundation. He studied the art of business at night. “I like to read books on business and that helps me a lot,” Galdino said.
Books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad and The Richest Man in Babylon are just a couple of his must-reads, and over time, through his reading, he learned to build his own systems: how to handle
suppliers, how to train employees, and how to keep quality consistent.
A year after opening, he moved his family into Peekskill in order to cut down his brutal two-hour commute and spend more time with his family. He’s now lived here for over 30 years, watching the city grow into a family-friendly downtown.
Mercado Azteca’s menu covers breakfast to dinner—burritos, tacos, tortas, cemitas, taco salads, daily guacamole, and his specialty–birria tacos–have become a best seller.
Orders can be taken at the counter, over the phone, or through delivery apps like GrubHub and DoorDash. On rainy days, the phones don’t stop. On sunny days, the tables fill up. His business is roughly half takeout, half dine-in, depending on the weather.
Galdino has built a team around him. “Thanks to them, I have what I have, I don’t do anything without them,” Galdino said.
Some employees have been with him for nearly a decade. Others are newer. Soledad Arias, originally from Ecuador, has worked here for three years as a waitress and deli prep. She describes the workplace simply: “We’re more like family, than a staff,” Arias said.
She explains how they double-check every phone order, make sure customers leave happy, and keep the operation running smoothly, even during the busiest lunch hours.
Mercado Azteca is also a place to visit while shopping at the Peekskill Flea Market., which is very popular with Peekskill’s Spanish-speaking community.
“You can find things here from your country that other places don’t have. It feels like your home,” Arias said with a smile.
She loves the food too, recommending the enchiladas and the 20 different variations of tacos.
Earlier this year the interior of the building underwent a much-needed renovation. There’s new woodwork, better lighting, and a more streamlined flow between the kitchen and deli operations.
Authentic Mexican options support Galdino’s hope for Peekskill: more families walking around in a thriving, connected downtown.
Referencing his success, “Anybody can do it,” Galdino said. “It’s hard work and patience. The secret is patience.”
Mercado Azteca and Deli is open 10am-10pm every day. You can reach them at (914)737-5513 , online at www. mercadoaztecadeliny.com or through instagram @mercadoaztecadeli
If you are a downtown business and would like to be considered for an upcoming profile article, please email us at peekskillbid1@gmail.com.
(C) 2025 Peekskill Business Improvement District. Photos by Joshua Anderson. Edited by Bill Powers. If you are a downtown destination business, and would like to be considered for an upcoming profile article, please email us at peekskillbid1@gmail.com.
