freepress

 SAN MARCOS – In a city with 23,000 Latino residentsaccounting for 37 percent of the population, La Fe,which means “the faith” in Spanish, has a big hold asthe only Tortilleria in town.“The people in the area enjoy the ability to walk herewhich is a definite plus,” said owner Hoxsie Smith.“The city envisioned this as an area with residencesand businesses in close proximity so you could liveand work next door and not have to use a car. Ninetypercent of the employees at our restaurant live justaround the block.”La Fe has been in San Marcos for more than 20 years inone form or another. It’s 25 employees produce 2,000to 3,000 dozen flour tortillas and an equal amount ofcorn tortillas daily, Monday to Friday. Two deliverytrucks and independent distributors take the tortillasacross North County, into the city of San Diego to thesouth and as far north as Newport Beach. Henry’sMarketplace is the largest account.Wholesale tortilla sales accounts for 70 percent ofthe company’s overall business, with sales estimatedby Smith at $1.3 to $1.4 million annually. Corn ismixed in vats and flour rolled into dough balls beforeeach rolls down separate production lines at the 4,000square feet building in the heart of the city’sredeveloped Plaza del Paseo Center at 462 West MissionRoad.Vista has a much smaller tortilla factory, but otherthan that, La Fe is the only, and largest, tortillamaker west of Escondido which features three suchfactories..San Marcos officials made La Fe part of an ambitious$18 million redevelopment project executed by thenon-profit Southern California Housing DevelopmentCorp. about five years ago. Of course, they had to ina way. La Fe sat smack in the middle of the proposedproject as well as in the hearts and dining tables oflocal residents.Known as Plaza del Paseo, the area now features avibrant community with 96 low-income apartments, 24other apartments and 23,000 square feet of retailspace with markets, shops, and services of all kinds,including a beauty salon, flower shop, clothing storeand video store.La Fe has a 15-year lease begun in 2002. While theplaza was built, Smith, an Escondido resident whobought the company 10 years ago, had to relocatetemporarily to Tulip Street in Escondido. Sales wereaffected as many customers had trouble finding the newlocation or getting there.With the move back to town, sales have been steadyalthough Smith always hopes to improve. He created aLa Fe Tortilleria dining experience that has attracteda steady clientele. Still, with its West Mission Roadlocation just off the beaten track that many know asSan Marcos Boulevard, Smith wants to get out the wordto those who haven’t stopped by just yet.“A lot of people don’t know we have a restauranthere,” Smith said. “We feel like the people that knowabout us come back. We have lots of repeat customers.They like our food, our quality, cleanliness andrelated atmosphere. They see the difference in havingour really fresh tortillas and our tamales. We alsohave a full bakery with Pan Dulce pastries baked freshdaily.”Restaurant customers also can look first-hand into thetortilla making experience. The facility was designedwith glass windows surrounding the factory sointerested parties could walk around and watch theirtortillas roll off the assembly line.Smith has taken the experience even farther, hostingtortilla factory tours for schools and educationalgroups. Recently, the MAAC Head Start program broughtthree groups of 20 students each to the Tortilleriatour.“If a school of class calls and wants to do a tour, wealways oblige,” Smith said. “We teach the kids aboutthe process, take them through the production area. Welet them play with the dough balls and always feedthem with cookies before they leave.”The restaurant has proven especially popular with theyounger crowd which is a good thing considering 29percent of San Marcos residents are under age 18 and67 percent of Latinos in the county are 34 years oldand younger, according to the 2000 Census. Smith saida lot of students from nearby Palomar College, CalState San Marcos, and San Marcos middle and highschools regularly eat at La Fe as do their teachers.That was the case Tuesday afternoon as several groupsof students chowed down in earnest.“I come here because the food is good,” said AdalidCastellanos, a sixth grader at nearby San MarcosMiddle School. “I love the beans. I’m always here.”Added Rachel Escalera, who has worked at La Fe sinceits 2002 return to San Marcos and lives right acrossthe street: “People love the burritos here, thetamales and quesadillas. They definitely like thechicken and rice soup, too.”La Fe also has a catering service. Thepanderia/restaurant is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mondayto Friday; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 5p.m.Sunday. The phone number is (760) 891-0199.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS