03/08/2021
Veronica Ortiz had dreamed of owning a paleta store and when she and her husband, John, stopped at the Paleta Bar in Bernalillo, they decided they wanted in. Just over a year later, they are co-owners of three Paleta Bars as well as a Paleta Bar Café in Albuquerque, along with their partners, Marcos and Yesica Palafox.
So, what is a paleta? Basically, John explains, “paleta” is what an ice pop is called in Mexico. But the Paleta Bar doesn’t just serve you a frozen treat on a stick. Oh, no! There’s much more. Once you select a flavor of ice pop from their list of more than 20 options, you can opt to have a half or full dip in chocolate: white, milk, or dark. But wait, as they say, there’s more! Now that your paleta is dripping with delicious chocolate, you can choose from about a dozen toppings, from cereals to nuts to fruits, including graham crackers, toffee, M&M candies, and more. Whipped cream? Sure, why not!