The Tamale Maker in San Francisco

Alicia Villanueva was born in the city of Mazatlan, Mexico, where she first began stuffing tamales as a kid with her mami and abuelita.

The idea behind Alicia's Tamales Los Mayas first started when she moved to the states in 2001. Alicia was inspired by all the different cultures and cuisines she saw represented in this country. She wanted to use her tamales as a way to connect with people, provide for her family, and share her story and culture with those around her.

In August 2010, Alicia went to La Cocina, a non-profit incubator kitchen in San Francisco's Mission District with a dream: to start her own tamale cart as a way to support her family. With a business plan in mind, and plenty of determination, Alicia launched her sales in the same month at the San Francisco Street Food Festival, selling nearly 1,500 tamales in a single day! Since then, her business has outgrown the incubator, and into her own 6,000 square feet factory, where she now employs 14 people to keep the operation running.

Through her business, Alicia's mission is to create opportunities for families, and positively impact the community and the planet. All her hand-crafted, homemade tamales are made from high-quality, local and organic ingredients. Every time you take a bite of her tamales, she wants you to feel like you're a part of her family.