We had the good fortune of connecting with Steve Alvarado and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Steve, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My thought process involved bringing together two of my favorite subjects, food, and history. As a chef you get to work with various ingredients and a lot of the time you don’t consider the history of them. However, there are some, like tortillas, that are a staple in their respective cuisine and deserve a look into its history. So that’s what I did. I researched the entire process from the origins of corn, to the making of the actual tortilla. I wanted to focus on the time before European Colonization, so my focus was kept on corn considering the Spanish brought wheat and eventually flour tortillas. I would have stayed away from the word tortilla as well. but getting people to call them “tlaxcalli” is a bit of a stretch. Once I had my niche I went to work on recreating old techniques and scaling it up. For each step in the process I either had to make custom equipment or buy machinery to speed the process up. Eventually I was able to get to a point where I could bring a product to market.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve been in the Restaurant business for 20 years, with a few stints at other various jobs sprinkled in there, none of which were for very long because I always missed being in the kitchen. I’ve worked at various restaurants here in Arizona and Illinois. I’ve done everything from sports bars to casual and fine dining as well as some catering and food trucks. Basically anything food related I am interested in, That includes volunteering on a farm in Arkansas, which is something I am looking forward to doing again in the near future. After 15 years in the business I decided to go to culinary school and see what else I was missing. Although I didn’t necessarily have to go, because I already had a career going, I am glad I did. I not only learned some new things but I met some lifelong friends and made some great connections in the industry. I have always made it a point to support local and even wanted to go to school here locally at ACI. My career has mostly been spent in locally owned restaurants. My favorite part about this is getting to know the owners of various establishments. Most have been very open about what it takes to run a business, That knowledge has helped me when it was time for me to start my business. Cooking is easy, running a business, not so much.
You only get to where I am professionally with experience. It isn’t easy. You will get cut and burned on a regular basis in the beginning and even years into it accidents can happen. I have done my share of yelling as as well so a thick skin is required if you’re going to make it, Tempers can flare when a kitchen is in the weeds and learning to control mine has been the biggest change as my career has progressed. Nobody starts cooking at the top. It takes years of doing the same things over and over again until you can do it with your eyes closed, Just ask anybody that’s done it awhile how many onions they’ve cut. It’s long hours and little personal time. It’s an industry where you really have to love it or be miserable and those are the ones that get weeded out. What makes the long hours worth it is the people. I see my coworkers more than anybody else so to have good relationships with them is vital if a kitchen is going to be enjoyable. Another aspect that you have to love about it is the most obvious. Feeding people. Having people gather around to eat something you’ve created and worked hard on is its own reward. In my restaurant career and in my business I absolutely love hearing what people have to say, Most people that love it will tell you to your face. Those that don’t will tell you online. So obviously that face to face interaction with guests is special.
I am especially excited about the next chapter in my career. Although I still work as a chef, my business is still center stage. I work at it constantly and am so excited to expand on it. The laws have changed recently in AZ so I’ll be brining much more to the markets. Tortillas are just the beginning so be on the look out for more masa related food items. I would love to get into a food truck and eventually a brick and mortar so I of course excited about that.
I want my brand to become a household name in the valley and wherever I decide to take it next. I love talking to people about what makes my product different than what they can get at the big box stores. I eventually want to make my way into some of those stores but will not sacrifice the integrity of my product to do so. With that said, I would like to see more people doing things the way we use to. At the Farmers markets you can meet a lot of vendors that feel the same way I do. For the past 60 years our food has been full of unhealthy chemicals and preservatives and we have seen every health issue on the rise. I believe it really starts with food and putting the right foods in our bodies. I want to keep my product as something that people feel good about eating.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Anybody that is friends with me knows that I’m much more of an outdoors guy so anybody coming out of state to visit would have to see the grand canyon and get that off the list, as well as Sedona. Those are usually the 2 things to knockout right away. I’m a Phoenix west sider so some hiking in the white tanks would be up there. A day at lake pleasant either jet skiing or just doing some swimming or fishing. I love getting my kayaks out on the water so learn to paddle. I love sports so depending on the time of year a game is definitely in order, I would choose a hockey game for sure, but well….that’s ending so most likely a Cardinals or Dbacks game. We would also have to make some rounds at the farmers markets. My usual go to for a quick bite to eat is usually Taqueria tuc-son, or Ta Carbon. Cocktails I would head to Tikistar in Parkwest, If we were to head to a brewery it would be Peoria Artisan Brewery. Pizza would be on the list as well so either Osteria MIa or Papa Pauls. A guilty pleasure of mine would have to be Lolos chicken and waffles. That would be a good start and I guess if we had to we could head to the east side. as in far east like the ren fest, or canyon lake and Payson.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Well, to start would have to be my mom. She has always supported my plans and ideas and will let me know if she thinks its a good one or not and what i should or shouldn’t change. She has always been the person I can share ideas with and get an honest answer. Next would definitely be my brother. He helped put together the custom equipment I needed and never hesitates to help me when I need it. Couldn’t do it without him. My fiancé as well for putting up with a house that is slowly being turned into a business and of course helping me on those days that I can’t do it all. Can’t forget Sue Lane from the Arizona Culinary Institute. She was a great help when I was in school and even more so after school. I’ve had great experiences helping her with her food truck and learning the ins and outs of that line of business. Her knowledge has been invaluable. Also my friend Stormi for being an awesome artist and creating a logo that people love to comment on and is an easy conversation starter with many of my customers. I really wouldn’t have a business without another business and that is Masienda. The team over there has been vital to the success of mine. And oh man, once I was in the markets and met other vendors and entrepreneurs, I learned so much. So a big shoutout to Tiff and Christa for bringing me into their markets and taking a chance on me, as well as Peyton for also taking that chance with her markets and helping me with setting up my booth and being there to bounce ideas off of. Of course Chris, owner of Benny Blanco Tortillas has been a huge help in answering any questions I have and showing me his tortilla operation in Apache Junction, Highly recommend you check that out. There are so many others that have helped in some way and instead of trying to list them all here I suggest you come out to the markets and meet them.
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