Topic

Tortillerías & local business

Briefs on neighborhood tortillerías, family tortilla factories and restaurant tortilla operations in the U.S. and Mexico. They cover prices, closures, food safety, new brands and the people who ran these businesses. 7 stories, newest first.

Commodities

Mexican tortillerías hold prices as flour and corn costs bite in Sinaloa and Guerrero

Following our Puebla–Morelos roundup, regional masa-and-tortilla groups report fresh cost pressure. In Sinaloa, the industrialists' federation says flour rose MX$450/t in February, sales are down as much as 30%, and 42 tortillerías closed (11 since reopened); the group is seeking federal/state help to hold the kilo near MX$29. In Guerrero, drought cut local maize output by as much as 60%, pushing Costa Chica corn to MX$9,000–10,000/t from MX$6,500–7,000 and forcing purchases from Sinaloa, Jalisco and Michoacán at about 30% more; industrialists say they will hold prices through year-end. In Chiapas, where nearly all shops run on flour, the group says flour suppliers have not raised prices and the kilo holds at MX$18–25.

Source: El Sol de Chilpancingo
Companies: Federación de Industriales de la Masa y la Tortilla (Sinaloa), Industriales de la Masa y la Tortilla de Guerrero, Industriales de la Masa y la Tortilla “Somos Chiapas”
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Products

East L.A.'s La Reina revives its brand with rolled tortilla chips

La Reina, founded in East L.A. in 1958 by Bracero Program veteran Mauro Robles, will bring its brand back in late October with gluten-free rolled tortilla chips in chile lime and elote flavors, The Eastsider reports. Chief growth officer Mauro Gomez, Robles' grandson, says the flavors were inspired by street-vendor ingredients. The brand left shelves in the late 1980s–early '90s, but the factory kept making private-label tortillas. La Reina acquired Anita's Mexican Foods in 1978 and employs about 300 people across two locations. The chips launch online, at farmers' markets and at East L.A. retailers.

Source: The Eastsider
Companies: La Reina, Anita's Mexican Foods
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Plants & People

Denver chefs scale in-house masa: La Diabla’s Ocho Hileras and Alma group plans

Rocky Mountain PBS (Oct 5) profiles Denver’s scratch-corn push. Jose Avila (La Diabla) plans tortillería Ocho Hileras on an adjacent property, telling RMPBS it would produce more than 3,000 tortillas per hour versus ~1,300/day in-house now. Johnny Curiel’s Alma group plans its own tortillería to control masa for its Michelin-recognized concepts; small molinos (Don Zorros, Dos Caras) already supply chefs. Foodservice-adjacent craft capacity, not a wholesale plant deal.

Source: Rocky Mountain PBS
Companies: La Diabla, Ocho Hileras, Fonda Fina Hospitality, Don Zorros Molino, Dos Caras, Raquelitas
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Commodities

White-maize squeeze lifts tortilla prices in Puebla and Morelos

Puebla-region masa/tortilla industrialists say April–May harvest reserves are largely gone and private white maize jumped about 29.7% in roughly a month (≈MX$7,400 to MX$9,600/t), with tortilla averages near MX$18/kg and room for MX$19–20 in Puebla/Amozoc. In Morelos, the sector council ties drought scarcity to maize near MX$9,000/t and some shops at MX$30/kg (to MX$32 with delivery). SADER still says inventories are adequate. Framed for U.S. trade readers as white-maize cost context.

Source: Cholula Digital
Companies: SADER, Cámara Masa y Tortilla Puebla-Tlaxcala-Veracruz, Consejo de la Masa y la Tortilla Morelos
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