Buena Bodega

May 7, 2025

BUENA BODEGA

Midtown Ventura

Written by Corigan Kushma

What do you get when you combine a long-held, life-changing idea with a calling for community support and connection? For Tessa Bigtree, it means taking the big leap of leaving a comfortable corporate job and opening the market of her dreams in her community. Lucky for all of us, we will soon be welcoming Buena Bodega to Midtown Ventura. The anticipation is high!

Tessa and her partner, Rich, have been in Ventura for nearly eight years, but the idea of a retail space with a neighborhood market has been poking at them for many more. With a background in merchandising and marketing, Tessa has the product knowledge and design chops to envision endless possibilities for fun retail spaces. However, having her first child was key to grounding those visions. After having her daughter, Harley (who is now two, going on thirteen), she longed for community and was fortunate to find a deeply supportive mom group. This community connection revived her and reminded her just how important the people around you are. She began to re-prioritize how she wanted her life to feel, and the thought of having a space where she could foster more community connection took hold.

This will be a place of community support through and through.

When Tessa and Rich set eyes on the Midtown Main Street space, they could see it: sunny, open doors welcoming smiling neighborhood people who are connecting, shopping, eating, and sipping drinks to groovy tunes. Their concept is a delight—a market in front with specialty food items you won’t find elsewhere in Ventura, grab-and-go foods, a full assortment of alcoholic and non-alcoholic selections, farmers market produce, and a café in back. With the help of a Gjusta menu consultant, the eatery is sure to please: unique toasts, bagels, bowls, smoothies, plus fun desserts and coffee drinks (the “iced marshmallow matcha float” piqued my interest). Furthermore, the ‘Buena Bodega Social Club’ will host fun community gatherings. Think: chef takeovers, poetry nights, writing prompts and wine. The possibilities are tantalizing and endless.

Tessa admits she has little food experience, but what she lacks there, she makes up for with her love of learning and her natural strengths—high adaptability combined with a level head, passion for community, and, frankly, the courage to step up to the plate to bring Ventura something new. Tessa emphasized, “I want this to be a safe place for all walks of life.” It is very important to her that this space has a deeper ethos. She’ll strive to support women-owned, BIPOC, and underrepresented brands. She wants the experience to be adventurous and fun, not too serious, the kind of space where ‘kid spills’ are okay.