When Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) began bringing workers to its north Phoenix facility in 2022, Fry’s quickly adapted. By 2024, the two nearest Fry’s locations had stocked their shelves with about 40 new Taiwanese products, including snacks, soy sauces, and noodles — thanks to the work of Daniella Lerma, Fry’s “multicultural specialist.”
Lerma’s role is to ensure that underrepresented communities can find the foods they value at Fry’s stores. Of the chain’s 130 Arizona locations, 47 are designated as “high Hispanic” stores, three offer a “kosher experience,” and two in north Phoenix have recently been tailored as “Asian-focused” stores. Lerma oversees product selection across all these stores.
One of Lerma’s most meaningful projects is Fry’s Mercado in Phoenix on 43rd Avenue and McDowell Road — the only Fry’s Mercado in the country. Located in a neighborhood where 85% of the population identifies as Hispanic, the store features an expanded assortment of meats, produce, and bulk staples like rice and beans. Its bakery produces fresh conchas and Mexican pastries, while the tortilleria churns out roughly 10,000 packages of fresh corn tortillas weekly. Specialty options like strawberry and pineapple nixtamal tortillas are also available. “That recipe is really good,” said bakery manager Irma Rodriguez. “If I don’t get those tortillas, I don’t even buy them — I’d rather make them at home.”
The store, which has been operating for nearly 20 years, features bilingual signage, though Lerma is working to prioritize Spanish over English. Fry’s Mercado also holds the distinction of selling more Tajin than any other Fry’s location in Arizona.
Lerma has played a key role in helping local businesses gain traction. At one aisle display, colorful bags of spicy chamoy-covered candy from Spicy Candy Bar, a small Phoenix-based company, were neatly arranged. Lerma helped the company secure placement in Fry’s and later expand to seven additional stores. “She helped us establish ourselves with Kroger and Fry’s,” said Diego Cruz, Spicy Candy Bar’s Sales Manager. “Once we were able to get into Kroger, it was easier to negotiate with other retailers.” Lerma takes pride in supporting local brands. “That’s one of my favorite parts of this role — working with these small local companies and getting them into Fry’s for the first time and then being able to say, ‘Hey, day one, I’m going to be the first customer to buy your product,’” she said.
Her work extends beyond product placement. During Jewish holidays, especially Passover, Lerma’s job becomes more demanding as customers need to convert their pantries to Passover-compliant products. She visits kosher-focused Fry’s locations, like the one on Shea Boulevard and Tatum Boulevard, and consults with local rabbis to ensure the right products are available. “That helps me take the stress and pressure away,” Lerma said. “When you know you have a successful holiday and they’re smiling, it makes it worth it.”
Lerma has been Fry’s multicultural specialist for four years, part of a broader industry shift toward catering to increasingly diverse communities. Historically, grocery stores have separated “mainstream” and “ethnic” offerings, but that division is disappearing. “Now more than ever, multicultural is at the forefront,” Lerma said. “We see that our new millennial shopper is still following those same traditions and cultural food, but they’re taking it to a higher, fancier level.”
This shift reflects Lerma’s personal experience. Raised in south Phoenix with Mexican roots on both sides of her family, she sees her role as a way to preserve her heritage. “Food is magic. Food is medicine,” she said. Her end goal? To ensure that anyone walking into a Fry’s can always find the ingredients to make pozole.
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