Omar Alcantara was in fifth grade when his family made the move from the Dominican Republic to the Bronx. Even that first Northeastern winter wasn’t enough to deter him. It was all fun in little Omar’s eyes – traveling to a new place, figuring out Manhattan. Soon, though, he learned the price of his family’s new life in the Big Apple – apartment living, little room to run around and be a kid.

Early on, Omar took a liking to carpentry (his father’s trade). The family ran a small workshop in Queens. He even took it over for a while when his parents moved to Hazleton. From there, his life began to revolve around a tight triangle between the Bronx, Queens and Hazleton. And if the monotony of travel hadn’t worn him down, the idea of his first-born daughter growing up in a concrete jungle did the trick.

Just as he approached 30, Omar, with his little family in tow, sought greener pastures (or maybe just a backyard) in Hazleton. Soon, he had packed up his family’s custom carpentry and cabinetry operation and moved it to the Mountain City. Shortly after, he opened Tabla Supply, a commercial & residential remodeling supply company.

We caught up with Omar for coffee and a quick chat in his beautiful showroom. And, of course, we just had to ask, Why NEPA?

How long have you lived in NEPA?

It’s been five years now total.

What do you love about your town?

It’s all about the opportunity for growth. That’s the bottom line. It’s why I moved here. Imagine a building like this. It’s about 14,000 square feet. Could you imagine what something like this would cost in New York? And my house is around 3,700 square feet. You don’t even want to know what a house like that would cost in the Bronx. It would have still been a dream for me over there. And here in Northeastern PA, I was able to get all of this in a year. That’s basically what it all comes down to – the opportunity for growth.

What’s your favorite NEPA restaurant?

My favorite restaurant? Oh man… that’s just too hard. You’re going to get me in trouble with this one (laughs) I guess it depends, right. That really depends on what you’re in the mood for. Hazleton has so many good Mexican restaurants. You also have traditional Dominican restaurants. There are so many restaurants here, but I think it really depends on what you’re lookin’ for. But since you’re forcing me to choose, there is a place called Café Colao on Alter Street. It’s a Dominican spot. It’s like a bar and restaurant. They have really good food and a great atmosphere. It’s not too loud. You can sit and relax and have a conversation. And the drinks are really good, too.

What’s your favorite thing to do in NEPA?

I mean, I work so much here. It’s hard to get out, you know? In the winter, were mostly hanging out at the house. When it gets warmer, I’m always playing with the girls in the backyard. And we go on some little trips here and there. We’ve taken them to Kalahari out in the Poconos and Knoebels. And we like to do a lot of the local activities, like the Santa events at Christmas and all that. It’s hard though, you know. Even when I’m trying to keep things running here, I have to make time for my girls. Sometimes, they come with me to work, but there are four of them. That’s a lot (laughs).

What’s next for you?

Professionally, I just want to keep expanding this business. Mainly, I’m trying to set this business up so it could run on its own. I know that almost never happens, but I’ll try. I’ve been out there knocking on doors, trying to get some contracts for us. I see a lot of the future plans just for Hazleton alone. There’s a lot coming to this town and I want to get just a little piece of that. It’ll be a lot of work for everybody. We’ve got all these big factories and warehouses and I know there’s more to come. And when these companies move into these buildings, I just want them to know that there are smaller, local companies here that can help with furnishings and finishing their spaces.

Personally, I want to see Hazleton keep growing. And I want to make sure that everyone gets to grow and benefit along with it. The first thing you think about is your kids, you know? I want to make sure I provide a better life for them. That’s really what all of this is about.

Where do you see NEPA heading in the future?

It’s going up. Progress. I don’t really know how else to say it. I can see everything progressing and getting better – more housing, more good jobs… I mean Hazleton could be called a center of attraction. The housing is affordable. You can take almost any house or apartment and compare it to something in New York or other towns and people are choosing Hazleton. And it’s because they can see the opportunity and the potential. When I came here five years ago, I saw a lot of opportunity for growth and I still see those same opportunities today.

Why NEPA?

That goes back to the kids as well. When I decided to come to Hazleton, it was all about giving our kids the space they needed to grow. And we found that here. They have a big yard to play in. They’re safe. It’s mainly all about that. On the business side, I’m here because I saw, years back, that there was nothing else here like it. There are cabinetry shops and flooring shops and there’s big ones like Lowes, but nobody locally was doing it all in one place. I just saw a lot of opportunity for me to grow both as a person, a father and a businessman. And I don’t see that growth stopping anytime soon.

All around the country, people keep talking about the housing market slowing down, but that’s not happening here in Hazleton or the nearby towns. It feels like everybody wants to come here. It’s all about having peace of mind.