What does bodega mean?
A bodega is a small grocery or convenience store, most famously associated with New York City, where such shops are fixtures of nearly every neighborhood. A typical bodega sells everyday essentials — snacks, drinks, sandwiches, toiletries, newspapers — often staying open late and offering a quick counter-service menu like coffee or breakfast sandwiches. The word comes from Spanish, in which it originally denoted a wine cellar or storeroom, and ultimately traces back through Latin to the Greek word for a storehouse, making it a cousin of English words like 'boutique' and 'apothecary'. In Spain, 'bodega' still commonly refers to wineries or wine cellars, so travelers may encounter it in that sense on labels and signs. The term carries warm, unpretentious connotations, evoking friendly service, local character, and urban life; New York bodegas are even celebrated for the cats that keep watch over their aisles.
nounA small grocery store, especially one selling wine and food; in the United States, particularly New York City, a corner shop selling a wide range of everyday items.
- A small grocery or convenience store, especially in Hispanic neighborhoods of the US (most common today).
- In Spain: a warehouse or wine cellar where wine is made or stored.
"She stopped at the bodega on the corner to pick up milk and a newspaper."
"I grabbed a coffee and a bacon-egg-and-cheese from the bodega before work."
"The family's Rioja ages in oak barrels in their underground bodega in La Rioja."
'Bodegas' is the standard plural form; it follows regular English pluralization despite the Spanish origin of the word.
"There are three bodegas within a block of my apartment."
New York City has thousands of bodegas, and many of them are famous for their resident 'bodega cats' — feline employees beloved enough to have their own fan followings.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bodega
The word 'bodega' entered English from Spanish in the mid-19th century, borrowed during the period of growing trade and cultural exchange between the United States and Spanish-speaking countries. Spanish 'bodega' originally meant a storeroom or wine cellar, derived from Latin 'apotheca', itself borrowed from Greek 'apotheke', meaning a storehouse or repository. This same Greek root gave rise to several other familiar words across Europe, including 'boutique', 'bottega', and 'apothecary'. Its modern association with New York's corner shops developed in the 20th century as Hispanic, especially Puerto Rican, communities established small groceries throughout the city.
Related word forms
How bodega is actually used
In American usage, 'bodega' carries strong associations with New York City and often connotes an unpretentious, friendly neighborhood shop open long hours. In Spain, the word traditionally refers to a wine cellar or storage area for wine, though it can also denote a small shop there as well. The word is informal-to-neutral in register.
Easily confused with bodega
A bottega is an Italian artist's workshop or studio, whereas a bodega is a Spanish-derived term for a wine cellar or small grocery shop.
A boutique is a small fashionable shop specializing in clothing or accessories, while a bodega is a small convenience-style grocery store; both share the same ancient root.