Before sunrise, long before most grocery store shelves are stocked, tortillas are already coming off the line at Sombrerito Foods.
By 9 a.m., they’re out the door and into stores across Olathe, Montrose, Delta and beyond.
Those early hours and a commitment to simple ingredients and a family-driven approach is what sets the Olathe-based tortilla manufacturer apart in a crowded market dominated by shelf-stable products.
“It doesn’t get fresher than this,” said Frank Rivas, who co-owns the business. “We’ll make the product first thing in the morning, and by 9 a.m. it’s in shelves in the store.”
A family business with deep roots
Sombrerito Foods, whose manufacturing space is located at 525 Highway 50 Business Loop, is operated by Maria Cordova, Eduardo Cordova and Rivas, who bought the business about two years ago. (Sombrerito Foods has been operating in Olathe since the 1980s.) Since they bought it, they’ve been slowly pushing toward expansion.
Maria Cordova brings years of hands-on experience to the operation, having worked in tortilla shops for about a decade before starting a business in California in the 1990s. The family later operated a tortilla shop in Moreno Valley, California, around 2007 before eventually relocating to Colorado.
They settled in the region — specifically Parachute — around 2008, taking on a variety of jobs — including trucking and restaurant work (Rivas also still works a full-time job as an electrician) — before an opportunity changed everything.
The Olathe tortilla shop, came up for sale on Facebook Marketplace, funny enough.
“We were looking for something else to do,” Eduardo said.
One of Maria’s family members saw the post on Facebook, and they leapt at the opportunity.
Eduardo Cordova, who had spent years driving trucks in the oil field, was ready for a change.
“I was so tired,” he said, describing the long hours and harsh winter conditions. “That’s why I decided to get into this (business).”
The family purchased the business, inheriting an already-established operation with existing distribution relationships and longtime employees.
“What I’m saying is, we have a good foundation,” Rivas said. “Now we just need to build up.”
A different kind of tortilla
Unlike many tortillas found in the center aisles of grocery stores, Sombrerito’s products are located in the refrigerated section.
That’s by design.
The company uses a short list of ingredients — flour, shortening, baking powder, salt and water — avoiding the preservatives that allow many tortillas to sit on shelves for weeks.
“If the product stays that long on the shelf and nothing happens to it, it most likely has a lot of stuff in it,” Rivas said.
By contrast, Sombrerito’s tortillas are made to be eaten fresh, with a shorter shelf life and a more traditional taste. But the quality is obvious in every bite.
“We try to keep it as pure as we can,” Rivas said.
The difference is noticeable, he said — especially when the tortillas hit the heat.
“You put our flour tortillas on your flat top, those things will rise nice and fluffy,” he said.
While the company has long specialized in flour tortillas, it has expanded into corn tortillas in recent years, refining the recipe over several months to meet its quality standards.
“It took us about four months,” Rivas said. “We tested it… until we finally got something that we wanted.”
In addition to the flour and corn products, they also make a whole wheat tortilla.
Growing across the Western Slope
From its base in Olathe, Sombrerito Foods distributes tortillas throughout the Western Slope, including Montrose, Delta and Grand Junction, with products appearing in major retailers such as Walmart and City Market, as well as smaller local stores.
“Anything as far as you see at Walmart, Kroger, City Market… our products are there,” Rivas said.
The company has also reached communities like Parachute and Rifle and is working to expand further into areas such as Gunnison and mountain towns across the region.
“Hopefully we’ll keep going down the line and keep expanding that way,” Rivas said.
Production has increased significantly since the family took over.
In just two years, output has grown by roughly 150%, with the facility producing hundreds of packages per production day and thousands per week.
The operation runs three to four days a week, with production starting as early as 4 or 5 a.m. to ensure deliveries reach stores the same morning.
Despite the growth, the team remains small, with about four to five employees — some of whom have been with the business for decades.
Community ties and local impact
Beyond production and distribution, Sombrerito Foods has become part of the local fabric in Olathe.
The company provides jobs in a small community and works with local organizations, including donating tortillas for school events.
“We give opportunities for locals to work here,” Maria said. “The more we grow, the more opportunities we’ll be able to give out to the community.”
For Maria Cordova, the most rewarding part of the business isn’t just making tortillas — it’s seeing the response from customers.
“When I see people happy, I’m happy too,” she said. “When somebody says something about our good tortillas, I feel very excited.”
She added that hearing directly from customers in stores is especially meaningful.
“In stores, I see people who tell me they love my tortillas,” she said.
They also sell their tortillas at a much smaller price directly out of the side of their building.
Looking ahead
With a local presence and a growing regional footprint, Sombrerito Foods is looking toward bigger goals.
“Brother, if we can go nationwide,” Rivas said. “That’s the goal.”
For now, that growth remains rooted in the same approach that built the business: early mornings, simple ingredients and tortillas that go from production line to store shelves in just a matter of hours.
Justin Tubbs is the Montrose Business Times editor. He can be reached by email at justin@montrosebusinesstimes.com or by phone at 970-765-0915 or mobile at 254-246-2260.
