Vallarta Supermarkets

As of 2022, Vallarta counts on 53 stores throughout California (Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Kern, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Tulare, Orange, and Fresno counties), and more than 8,000 team members. The Gonzalez family promises to continue to strive for excellence in everything we do so that our valued customers always have a Vallarta supermarket to call their own.From one small carnicería in Van Nuys in 1985 to 53 full-service markets across California, Vallarta Supermarkets is a living, breathing tribute to the hard work and customer dedication of our founding family and all of our valued employees.Vallarta Supermarkets was founded by Enrique Gonzalez Sr., who was later joined in the business by his four brothers, his son and nephew. Their family roots and humble origins began in the tiny town of Jalostotitlán, Jalisco, Mexico, where Enrique and his brothers were raised on a meager farm. Their parents instilled in them at very young ages the importance of family and the power of a strong work ethic to overcome challenges.When the opportunity arose to immigrate in the 1960’s, the Gonzalez family was thankful to stake their claim in the “land of opportunity,” the United States of America. Right away, the five brothers got to work in restaurants, either as short-order cooks or bussing tables. Even though some of the brothers were still in school, they all worked to help the family make ends meet.In 1985, Enrique Gonzalez Sr. began his journey in the grocery business when he opened Carniceria Vallarta in a 1,000 sq. ft market in Van Nuys, CA. He focused on selling the traditional cuts of meats popular in his native Mexico with an emphasis on unequaled quality and the friendliest of customer service. He soon expanded the business to a second location and brought his four brothers into the business. From there the adventure truly began, as they worked together as a family to build both a reputation for excellence and a successful business.The Gonzalez brothers believed that the key to Vallarta’s success would be to combine elevated customer service with the highest quality products to serve the growing Hispanic community whose needs may not be addressed by big chain stores.That’s why, from the beginning, Vallarta Supermarkets offered a wider variety of the freshest, traditional foods from Mexico, and Central and South America than any other store. They offered specialty and traditional items customers couldn’t find anywhere else: cut-to-order Latin-style meats (ranchera, diesmillo, lomo de res), spices, fresh fruit and produce, delicious prepared foods, pan dulce made daily, plus everything else you would expect from a traditional grocery store. Fast forward to today where Vallarta has expanded its offerings to include a juice and aquas frescas bar, tortilleria, bakery (panaderia), a cevicheria and more.