Yoli Tortilleria’s grind to “honor the very humble tortilla” earns James Beard Award
June 6, 2023 | Madeline Fox
Editor’s note: The following story was originally published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter.
Yoli Tortilleria, a Mexican tortilla bakery with a retail store on Jefferson Street on Kansas City’s Westside and a manufacturing location on Bell Street, won the 2023 James Beard Award for Outstanding Bakery — one of the most prestigious honors in the American food industry.
The Westside tortilla bakery beat out two bakeshops in North Texas, an Italian bakery in New Orleans and a Miami bread maker.
Marissa Gencarelli, Yoli Tortilleria, wins Outstanding Bakery at the 2023 James Beard Restaurant And Chef Awards at Lyric Opera Of Chicago; photo by Jeff Schear, Getty Images for The James Beard Foundation
Owner Marissa Gencarelli said in her acceptance speech Monday that the tortilleria opened when she was still grieving the loss of her parents.
“Baking became our therapy, a way to connect and honor my ancestors in the middle of North America,” she said. “Thank you for the opportunity, and thank you for helping us honor the very humble tortilla.”
Gencarelli offered “gracias totales” to the James Beard Foundation, bakery employees, family and “Our city, Kansas City — without you, we would not be here.”
Last year, Yoli and its owners — Marissa and Mark Gencarelli — made it to the semifinals in the Outstanding Baker category, making history as the first tortilla bakery nominated for any James Beard Award.
When she spoke to KCUR in March about the bakery’s nomination as one of five finalists, Gencarelli said she was honored that her small business was recognized.
“I have a little kid and I always read ‘The Little Engine That Could,’ and we always feel like the little Mexican engine that could,” she said. “So, you know, it’s always going forward and just working as hard as we can.”
Yoli Tortilleria beat out Angelo Brocato Ice Cream & Confectionery in New Orleans, La Casita Bakeshop in Richardson, Texas, Kuluntu Bakery in Dallas, and Zak the Baker in Miami to take home the honor.
Click here to read more about Yoli Tortilleria from Startland News.
2023 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Happy birthday! Startland recalls 10 memorable entrepreneurial stories
It’s been a year since Startland News spread its journalistic wings. And that presents us an opportunity to reflect on the flood of stories that Kansas City stirred up in the last 12 months. We’ve published more than 400 stories in the last 365 days. Although they detail a myriad of subjects in on the…
Fund me, KC: Leka robot teaches kids with developmental disorders
Startland News is continuing its segment to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs — like Leka CEO Ladislas de Toldi — to share their stories to gain a little help from their supporters. If you or your startup is running a crowdfunding campaign, let us know by…
The WTF Series: Chatbots to anticipate your needs
On a daily basis, Ben Kittrell translates the jargon-filled world of technology for clients of his tech consultancy. The Words that Frustrate (WTF) series aims to offer readers some clarity in an industry dominated by techies’ confusing argot. At Facebook’s latest developer conference, F8, Mark Zuckerberg announced they are adding Application Programming Interfaces to Facebook…
Report: Missouri boasts three, top-20 startup cities
Kansas City is a top-20 destination to start a business, according to a recent WalletHub report. A study released Monday by the personal finance website ranked the City of Fountains as the No. 16 best city to launch a business. WalletHub compared the relative startup opportunities in the 150 most populated U.S. cities., looking at metrics such…