DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- One spot in DeKalb County embodies the growth and buying power of Atlanta's Hispanic community.
In an age when shopping malls are struggling, Plaza Fiesta is a thriving 1960s-era mall that packs 289 stores into a modest, single-story space. And on some weekends, like last weekend, it's more than a mall.
Sunday, Plaza Fiesta's Cinco de Mayo Festival drew upwards of 35,000 people, according to organizers – cementing the mall's reputation as an essential Latino destination, according to immigration attorney Brenda Lopez.
"It's definitely more than a shopping mall. It's a connector for the Latino community around Georgia and I would even say regionally," Lopez said. "I've known people that come from nearby -- the Carolinas, Tennessee, Alabama -- because they know, even outside of the state, that it has anything and all you may need for Latino products."
It is not a high-end shopping mall, but Plaza Fiesta delivers 21st century shopping trends by staying relevant in the age of internet shopping and catering to a Latino population that has doubled in Atlanta since 2000.
"Most of our shop owners are mom and pops. So they work their own stores. Most of them don't have employees, so they don't have that much of an overhead," said the mall's Julio Penaranda. "They're making money. Not hand-over-fist, but they are making money."
