MI RANCHO - THE AMERICAN DREAM REALIZED

Posted by Barbara Bontemps 
on Jul 23, 2013
 
The highlight for our weekly meeting was Manuel Berber, President and CEO of Mi Rancho, the Berber family-owned and operated enterprise that has gone from a small Mexican market in downtown Oakland to a state-of-the art factory distributing millions of tortillas to major restaurants and grocery chains.
 

ImageMi Rancho has been in business in Oakland since 1939.  Today is it a 4th generation company and the epitome of what the American Dream is all about.  Robert Berber purchased Mi Rancho in 1954 --In those days, it was a small market located at 7th and Broadway, specializing in all sorts of Mexican foods: spices, sauces, pastries, and (of course) tortillas.  The tortillas were made by hand from homemade masa and it wasn't long before Mi Rancho had the reputation for making the best burritos in the Bay Area. 

Robert and family focused on perfecting the art of tortilla making -- and as technology grew, so did the business. They were able to automate many of the processes while preserving the quality and flavor of their recipes.  Demand grew and in 1996, the store closed and the tortilla factory took over.  Today, the factory produces 4 million flour and corn tortillas per day (a long way from the 800 produced in the old days!) and distributes its product to many of the major food retailers and restaurants in the Bay Area and beyond, including Chevy's, Baja Fresh, Don Jose's, Maria Maria, Safeway, Whole Foods, Raleys and more.  They are also a major supplier to the military and export to Korea, Japan, Singapore and Australia. Their success story has been featured on "Evening Magazine" and "Bay Area Backroads" and they have been awarded the "Hispanic Business of the Year" award by the Chamber of Commerce.

Quality is the cornerstone of Mi Rancho's success. They are committed to using only the best organic ingredients and they closely follow the most stringent food safety guidelines.  Innovation is also important at Mi Rancho and they now offer a variety of flavors and sizes to suit any need. With 170 employees, they are an important contributor to the health of the Bay Area economy, as well!

Manuel presented a video covering the history of Mi Rancho that was both amazing (so many tortillas in so little time!) and inspiring.  Thanks for coming and sharing the Berber's (and Mi Rancho's) success story!