It is the co-op’s vision to support and strengthen community connections with our local producers – so here are their stories! In this Meet Your Producer series, we will highlight our neighborhood farmers, ranchers, and producers so you can see and hear what they’re all about. Support local!
Caramelo
Owner/Operator: Ruben Leal
Location: Lawrence, KS
About
Ruben Leal grew up in the city of Hermosillo at the center of Sonora, Mexico. He moved to the United States in high school, but one of the things he missed most about home was the tortillas. The style is specific to the region, made by hand with local flour, salt, fat and water.
When Leal moved to Lawrence he began work as an administrator at KU. Folks suggested he should sell the tortillas he was making at home and the idea took root. Rather than using ingredients from Sonora, he opted for local Kansas flour and lard. He decided to try selling them to see what would happen, and he approached our co-op as his first vendor.
Scaling Up
The tortillas at the co-op started selling out, and Leal began reaching out to other wholesale vendors to grow his business. At the time, he didn’t have a space of his own, so he rented commercial kitchen spaces for production. When Caramelo moved into a space in downtown Lawrence in 2018, it marked the official beginning of the business.
Having received national attention from shout outs in the Wall Street Journal, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, and Saveur, the demand for his tortillas continues to rise. Just last month, the team moved into their new premises on Pennsylvania which has room for the business to grow. On an average day, they produce 4,000 tortillas which are shipped to all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
As production needs grew, Leal did a lot of research to find a machine to both speed up the process and match as closely as possible the flavor and character of the handmade variety that inspired his business. They are constantly making adjustments to make the best possible tortilla. “There’s always something to improve,” Leal says.
What’s Next
One step at a time, Leal is working towards a bigger vision for Caramelo. In addition to the duck fat tortillas, he has pork and avocado oil. He has added online purchasing options for direct sales to customers in addition to his wholesale vendors.
We restock the online store once a week - there are a 1,000 dozen online orders by noon, and people are waiting on the site before it opens.
They’ve added their larger sized tortilla back to the production schedule, and once they have established a consistent routine in their new space, plans are in place to begin making corn tortillas as well.
What do you like most about the work you do?
It reminds me of home, where I grew up. Dinner was literally a bean taco with this kind of tortilla. I have a lot of memories of this back home.
What qualities do you need to succeed as a local producer?
Consistency of the product is really important. If the product isn’t what we expect, we don’t send it out… Also, finding the right people. I have a great time, this is a good team.
What have you learned from being a local producer?
I’m a mechanic now. I didn’t know how to change oils or belts in our machine. I have a chest full of tools in the back now. Keeping up with maintenance, and doing the maintenance myself has been lesson learned. Don’t give up on it.
If you have a passion, you can make it work.