Lidia's Tortillas
Despite its relative secrecy, Sayulita Mexico has somewhat of a beaten path. And just off the beaten path, a few blocks up from the Pacific Ocean, you will find the Gagiola family making their flower tortillas underneath the covered outdoor area extending from the house they rent for $500/month. While a small mixer blends the ingredients, and another large machine presses balls of fresh tortilla dough into paper thin tortillas, Lidia Gagiola and her husband Marco Antonio perform the manual portion of flipping, throwing and searing tirelessly, with the ease and expertise of artisans who have perfected their trade.
Lidia is an entrepreneur. In a city, and in a country where corn tortillas pervade, Lidia has perfected her unique wheat tortilla. The secret to the quality of the taste and texture lies not only in the ingredients she uses, but especially in the preparation of the tortillas, which she and Marco Antonia can turn out at the rate of 44 kilos a day (97 lbs) if business is good. Copy and paste the following link into your browser to see Lidia and Marco Antonio in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYCC0b9InP8
What happens to your senses upon biting into one of Lidia’s wheat tortillas is not something communicable using words. Suffice it to say that Lidia’s hands and tortilla-making skills carry serious potential, and the tourists as well as the residents of Sayulita are beginning to realize this.
This is great news for Lidia because she and Marco have a large and beautiful family to support. Yoryina is 13-years-old and is ranked second in her class at school. Michelle is 9 and is a feisty social butterfly who helps her mom by taking orders and serving customers. Marco Antonio junior is 9, a little small for his age, and is happy to show you some of his break dancing moves after he warms up to you, which takes all of five minutes.
Lidia doesn’t have a formal education. She doesn’t need one. When we first met Lidia and her family while inhaling her fish tacos for dinner one night, she told us that her dream has always been to cook for others—to share her gift. Her family has been in this new location in Sayulita for three weeks now after relocating from an area of town that gets little foot traffic. She is three weeks into realizing her dream. It must have hit her when she spoke these words out loud to us, because she immediately began to tear up and had to walk away to collect herself.
In these three short weeks, Lidia has already made her rent. She’s going to break even this month, or maybe even come out a little bit ahead. This is no surprise considering that the past two weeks make up one of two major holidays in Mexico that attract foreign tourists and Mexicans alike in droves to the coast: Easter and Christmas. The slow season will begin at the end of June and last until mid-October. The Gagiola family will attempt to sustain themselves on any profits made between now and June, as well as Marco Antonio’s skills as a fisherman, a trade he learned from his father. Lidia learned how to make wheat tortillas from her mother, in addition to sewing, which is another one of Lidia’s passions. One day, she hopes to create a sustainable tortilla business using hired help so she can make and sell women’s casual wear.
For now, she’s focused on making her tortillas and soliciting local restaurants that may be willing to buy her product. At least half of the establishments in Sayulita are owned and operated by gringos, or foreigners (usually American, Canadian or European) who can afford to live in Sayulita part-time during the profitable seasons, or those who have chosen to retire there. These fancy looking establishments serve as eye-candy for tourists who are quick to patronize what is familiar rather than what is authentic. This presents a challenge for Lidia who is limited in what she can do: limited by time, by money and especially by information. Believe it or not, the biggest hindrance for entrepreneurs in developing countries is lack of information (education, the internet, etc).
After numerous conversations with the Gagiola family over the course of four days, we were able to help Lidia identify exactly what she needs to increase her chances of success with her new business. It’s really pretty simple:
1. Get her name out there: Tortilleria de Harina “Lidia” (or “Lidia’s Wheat Tortilla Company).
2. Tortilla transportation.
With a small scooter equipped with a rear basket to secure a cooler filled with tortillas, Lidia could deliver her tortillas to various restaurants and residences in Sayulita and the surrounding areas.
3. Cash reserves.
The Gagiola family is destined for success, but they need reserves to sustain them through their first slow season. The profits from subsequent Christmas and Easter holidays should carry them through future slow seasons.
To read about our microfinancing plan and to make a donation, click on the "donate" link on the upper left side of this page. Or, if you're ready to donate now, click the "donate" button below:
Lidia is an entrepreneur. In a city, and in a country where corn tortillas pervade, Lidia has perfected her unique wheat tortilla. The secret to the quality of the taste and texture lies not only in the ingredients she uses, but especially in the preparation of the tortillas, which she and Marco Antonia can turn out at the rate of 44 kilos a day (97 lbs) if business is good. Copy and paste the following link into your browser to see Lidia and Marco Antonio in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYCC0b9InP8
What happens to your senses upon biting into one of Lidia’s wheat tortillas is not something communicable using words. Suffice it to say that Lidia’s hands and tortilla-making skills carry serious potential, and the tourists as well as the residents of Sayulita are beginning to realize this.
This is great news for Lidia because she and Marco have a large and beautiful family to support. Yoryina is 13-years-old and is ranked second in her class at school. Michelle is 9 and is a feisty social butterfly who helps her mom by taking orders and serving customers. Marco Antonio junior is 9, a little small for his age, and is happy to show you some of his break dancing moves after he warms up to you, which takes all of five minutes.
Lidia doesn’t have a formal education. She doesn’t need one. When we first met Lidia and her family while inhaling her fish tacos for dinner one night, she told us that her dream has always been to cook for others—to share her gift. Her family has been in this new location in Sayulita for three weeks now after relocating from an area of town that gets little foot traffic. She is three weeks into realizing her dream. It must have hit her when she spoke these words out loud to us, because she immediately began to tear up and had to walk away to collect herself.
In these three short weeks, Lidia has already made her rent. She’s going to break even this month, or maybe even come out a little bit ahead. This is no surprise considering that the past two weeks make up one of two major holidays in Mexico that attract foreign tourists and Mexicans alike in droves to the coast: Easter and Christmas. The slow season will begin at the end of June and last until mid-October. The Gagiola family will attempt to sustain themselves on any profits made between now and June, as well as Marco Antonio’s skills as a fisherman, a trade he learned from his father. Lidia learned how to make wheat tortillas from her mother, in addition to sewing, which is another one of Lidia’s passions. One day, she hopes to create a sustainable tortilla business using hired help so she can make and sell women’s casual wear.
For now, she’s focused on making her tortillas and soliciting local restaurants that may be willing to buy her product. At least half of the establishments in Sayulita are owned and operated by gringos, or foreigners (usually American, Canadian or European) who can afford to live in Sayulita part-time during the profitable seasons, or those who have chosen to retire there. These fancy looking establishments serve as eye-candy for tourists who are quick to patronize what is familiar rather than what is authentic. This presents a challenge for Lidia who is limited in what she can do: limited by time, by money and especially by information. Believe it or not, the biggest hindrance for entrepreneurs in developing countries is lack of information (education, the internet, etc).
After numerous conversations with the Gagiola family over the course of four days, we were able to help Lidia identify exactly what she needs to increase her chances of success with her new business. It’s really pretty simple:
1. Get her name out there: Tortilleria de Harina “Lidia” (or “Lidia’s Wheat Tortilla Company).
2. Tortilla transportation.
With a small scooter equipped with a rear basket to secure a cooler filled with tortillas, Lidia could deliver her tortillas to various restaurants and residences in Sayulita and the surrounding areas.
3. Cash reserves.
The Gagiola family is destined for success, but they need reserves to sustain them through their first slow season. The profits from subsequent Christmas and Easter holidays should carry them through future slow seasons.
To read about our microfinancing plan and to make a donation, click on the "donate" link on the upper left side of this page. Or, if you're ready to donate now, click the "donate" button below: