Midnight Noodle Mart brings Korean-inspired ramen and community focus to Riverdale Avenue

Riverdale Avenue has a colorful new addition — a ramen shop that draws inspiration from a Korean 7-Eleven, according to its owner, Jacqueline Rojas.

Inside Midnight Noodle Mart is a wall lined with various ramen flavors, illuminated by pink and purple LED lights. On the shelves are Cantabile pouch drinks, mochi, Pocky, onigiri and ramen toppings such as cheese, green onion and chili crisp. Rojas, a first-time business owner, said she aims to create a welcoming yet experimental space, and since its opening on April 21, the store has already caught residents’ attention.

The shop, found at 5923 Riverdale Ave., closes at 8 p.m., but Rojas said the concept is that “you can have a midnight snack at any hour of the day.”

Rojas, 30, grew up near the Bronx-Yonkers border on South Broadway and now lives in Mount Vernon. She brings to her new venture a background in business management and accounting. But now, her 2-year-old, Valerie Lopez, is the heart of Rojas’ work and her motivation for opening Midnight Noodle Mart.

“It’s for my daughter,” Rojas said. “For her to see me and hopefully get some positive things out of watching her mom build this.”

The process of making the business a reality took about eight months, Rojas said. Securing the space was easy, as Rojas visited Riverdale often, and said the number of women business owners on the corridor made her feel safe and empowered. A few of her architect friends helped her with the store layout — which has a natural customer route from the Buldak, to the drinks and toppings, to the sitting area, she explained. The color scheme, primarily bright pink, is intentional too. Pink makes people happy and hungry, Rojas said.

But, the journey wasn’t without challenges. Rojas said she intended to open a month earlier, but ran into a clerical error with the New York State Department of Health’s Bureau of Community Environmental Health and Food Protection. It wasn’t until an advocate with the New York City Department of Small Business Services stepped in that Rojas was finally able to launch Midnight Noodle Mart, she explained.

The staff, donned in pink aprons, are primarily Rojas’ family members — her brother, mother and also her husband, who picks up shifts after his full-time job at a Bronx-based plumbing company. Hoka Caballero, the niece of a close friend, also helps Rojas run the shop.

Caballero, 20, has held several other roles in customer service, but said she enjoys the creativity she has at Midnight Noodle. Together, she and Rojas tested out recipes for Midnight Noodle Mart’s coffee bar. They whipped up various versions of the strawberry and lavender cold foams — paired with matcha — until it was perfect,  Caballero said, and experimented with sweetener amounts too.

Caballero said when she proposes something new, such as a cinnamon brown sugar foam, Rojas is always encouraging.

Rojas’ approach to food — a love language that brings people together — was instilled by her mother. She called her mom a staple of South Broadway, and said the family grew up hosting barbecues for the neighborhood, where they would encourage attendees to bring their friends.

Rojas said she wants the mart to be special to residents — a place where they can step in, and explore new flavors outside of their typical palate. She added she’s already had customers who’ve expressed they’ve never tried Korean food, and Rojas makes a point to open items together, or tailor a bowl or drink to their taste. 

Some residents, such as 10-year-old Zoey Rodriguez, have already become regulars. Rodriguez, an avid enjoyer of ramen topped with corn, said she comes to the shop after school with her aunt. She’s also a fan of the ice cream.

Rojas is the oldest of six siblings, and naturally takes on a caring role. She hopes customers won’t feel intimidated, and instead will be comfortable walking into the shop with questions, and an openness to try things out of their comfort zone.

Midnight Noodle Mart  is just getting started, Rojas said, explaining April 21 was a “soft opening.” It will soon serve sushi bowls and poke bowls, and Rojas is working on a batch of new, homemade sauces. She encouraged customers to tell her if there is a product they want that isn’t in stock, and she will make sure to order it.

“I’m holding myself to the community,” Rojas said. “We’re making this our favorite store, not just my favorite options.”