SAN ANTONIO — Vilore Foods has added Tia Lupita Foods, a startup that manufactures hot sauces, grain-free cactus tortilla chips and Mexican chili crunch, to its portfolio that seeks “culturally connected and emerging brands that celebrate heritage and flavor” in a recent acquisition. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Tia Lupita was launched in 2018 after founder Hector Saldivar was inspired to bring a family hot sauce recipe that was handed down by his mother, Tia Lupita, to market.
The hot sauce quickly gained popularity amongst friends and co-workers, validating Saldivar’s reasoning to bring the product to life.
The hot sauce, Saldivar said, was formulated for “simplicity” after noticing the category was filled with “a lot of sodium, a lot of binders and gums and sugar because they’re using crazy peppers.”
Tia Lupita’s product line also includes tortilla chips that are formulated with a blend of cassava flour and nopales cactus among other ingredients.
“In Mexico we figured out if we mixed cactus with corn nixtamal we could reduce the calories and carbs in corn tortillas, in a way elevating something considered not that healthy like a tortilla into a healthy snack, with the nutritional attributes cactus provides,” Saldivar said.
Beyond an equity crowdfunding campaign and $2.6 million seed round in 2023, the startup appeared on “Shark Tank” in 2023. The company secured an investment from “shark” Kevin O’Leary, which fueled product offerings and distribution growth, according to Tia Lupita Foods.
Tia Lupita’s growth and potential caught Vilore’s eyes as more consumers look for trusted and authentic culturally connected products, said Edgar R. Vargas, director of growth and brand development for Vilore Foods.
With Tia Lupita’s “better-for-you” and “sustainable“ market position, the acquisition pushes Vilore Foods into the natural foods space, according to the company.
Founded in 1982, Vilore Foods, San Antonio, owns brands including La Costena, Jumex, Totis, Kern’s, Choco-Milk, Cal-C-Tose, Pronto and Congelli.
“Vilore Foods understands the cultural roots that drive our brand and has the reach and experience to take our products to even more shelves and kitchens across the country,” Saldivar said.
