KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Maybe you’ve driven by their factory on Southwest Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri, or bought their products at the grocery stores, but you might not know their story. After all, in their more than 80 years of business, Perez Food Products has only advertised once.
Dan Perez said the sole advertisement was to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary, over 30 years ago. Now he and his siblings, Jesse Jr. Perez and Christine Perez-Kuhlman, are the third generation carrying on the company and legacy of their grandfather and father.
Their grandfather Alberto Perez started the company in 1939.
“We grind about a ton of corn a day,” Dan Perez said.
They transform those kernels into maize dough called masa, then to 10s of thousands of tortillas a day and more. If you adore the tacos at the century-old iconic Dixon’s Famous Chili, or the tacos and chips at much-loved Margaritas, you’ve already had a Perez Food Products tortilla.
It is still truly a family business, with many family members working there every day, like their 93-year-old uncle Pete. Don’t ask for an exact recipe, though. They say over the years, they’ve learned what to adjust simply by sight and touch.
“It is daily because of the heat, the humidity and temperature of the building,” Dan Perez said.
Their grandfather Alberto moved to the United States from Mexico. Dan said he remembers tortillas and big family meals with his grandparents on Sundays.
“First he started off trying to be a Mariachi band, you know?” he said. “They were just trying to panhandle on the Plaza.”
Dan Perez says that all changed when his grandfather made an important connection.
“They were just trying to make some money and one day I guess my grandfather met Mr. Herrera, who built these machines and they designed these machines,” Dan Perez said.
Now the family's factory is abuzz with the sound of well-oiled machines making tortillas in the early morning hours, partly so they are fresh that day for their restaurant customers. But when the company began, their grandfather started small.
“It was done out of the trunk of the car. You make them during the day, put them in the trunk of the car, you try to sell them to neighbors or grocery stores or whatever. It was hard work,” he said.
It still is hard work. The company ships all over the country and you can find their products in restaurants and grocery stores all over Kansas City. They’re also looking to expand.
Dan said making tortillas the same way their grandfather and father did with the same three ingredients makes them feel connected to their heritage and their family.
“It has been rewarding for all of us to see what he has sacrificed, what he has built in all these years together to keep us all together. “
