New fresh tortilla maker sets up shop in Worthington
Local entrepreneur benefits from Southwest Initiative Foundation loan program
WORTHINGTON, Minn. – Fresh tortillas are now available in Worthington thanks to Maynor Lopez. He recently opened Tortilleria El Maná on Oxford Street with help from Southwest Initiative Foundation’s (SWIF) Business Finance Loan Program.
A tortilleria is essentially a tortilla bakery. Tortillerias are common in Mexico and Central America and usually sell corn tortillas by weight.
While Lopez is new to business ownership, he has plenty of experience making tortillas in his home country of Guatemala. Now he makes 80 pounds of them every day at Tortilleria El Maná. That’s about a thousand tortillas, with 15 in each pound.
Lopez also sells tacos, with counter service and a handful of tables for diners to use at the tortilleria. In the future, Lopez wants to sell his tortillas to local restaurants and taco trucks, too.
“Authentic Mexican food is very popular. There are more Hispanic immigrants coming to the area, and there is a large Hispanic population already here. They will appreciate fresh-made tortillas,” Lopez said.
Tortilleria El Maná is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day except Monday. Lopez currently works second shift at JBS so that he can spend his mornings making tortillas. Members of his family are helping run the tortilleria, including Lopez’s cousin, mom and siblings.
The new tortilleria’s location wasn’t originally a restaurant, so the building needed to be renovated. SWIF loan funds helped finance the renovations. Loan programs have been a key function of SWIF since its inception to create and retain quality jobs, foster entrepreneurship and help communities compete in a global marketplace.
“This is Maynor’s first business, and we’re excited to help him realize his dream of opening it and providing something new to the Worthington area,” said Jackie Turner, SWIF Economic Development Officer.
About Southwest Initiative Foundation
Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) is a nonprofit community foundation connecting people, investing in ideas and building communities to create a southwest Minnesota where all people thrive. Since its founding in 1986, SWIF has distributed more than $115 million through its grantmaking and business finance programs.