La Tapatia Tortilleria has moved the retail store attached to its Fresno, Calif., operations after construction on California's high-speed rail line drove customers away, The Fresno Bee's Bethany Clough reported Oct. 15. Yvette Cuellar, the company's director of public relations and marketing, told the paper the noise and debris from the work caused an “extreme loss in business” at the longtime Belmont Avenue shop.
The new La Tapatia Retail Outlet opened in late September at 403 N. H St., in space carved out of a building the company already owned in its raw-materials warehouse. It is two to three times larger than the old store. The California High-Speed Rail Authority confirmed a payment toward the move but has not disclosed the amount. Cuellar said it covered about a quarter of the cost of moving and refitting the space. The new location is off the main roads, and the company says some customers are still showing up at the old address.
Manufacturing is not affected. La Tapatia's plants, including the tortilla chip plant rebuilt after a 2021 fire, stay where they are. The women-owned company, founded in 1969 by Helen Hansen and now run with her four daughters, makes corn and flour tortillas, spinach wraps and chips under the La Tapatia, Golden Sun and Sol de Oro brands. The Belmont site still houses corporate functions. The outlet sells cases of 1,200 tortillas to taco trucks and restaurants as well as smaller bags for home cooks.
La Tapatia Tortilleria