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
Arredondo: ‘Kansas City nice’ is stifling innovation
Let me start off by saying, I love Kansas City. I love the humility. I love the blue-collar work ethic. I love the hospitality. I love the cost of living. In fact, I couldn’t be more proud to be a Kansas Citian. (I haven’t gone a day since the World Series without wearing at least…
FitBark: Missouri pooches are the most active dogs
Kansas City-based tech firm FitBark recently released an in-depth, interactive map plotting the vast array of data it collects on dogs around the world. The company, which relocated to Kansas City after completing the Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator program in 2014, opened its database to the public, sharing a trove of insights into canine health…
Smart City board discusses data privacy concerns, kiosks’ content
Creating value for citizens and openness to adaptive but privacy-conscious data policies were at the forefront of Kansas City’s Smart City board meeting Monday morning. About 20 people attended the year’s final meeting of the Smart City Advisory Board, which was formed in August to guide the $15.7 million, public-private tech project in downtown Kansas…
Fund Me KC: Lume Lifestyle
Who: Waira Mungai, Founder and CEO of Lume Lifestyle What: Lume Lifestyle is a lifestyle brand, aiming to merge fitness, fashion and technology. We invented a new product called “Lume Smart Leggings.” They feature a patent pending pocket that has been specifically designed for smartphone interaction. Our pocket has a special mesh that offers touchscreen functionality. It is…