La Preferida
La Preferida is a fourth-generation, family-owned Chicago-based manufacturer of over 250 authentic Mexican packaged food products, including canned beans, rice, salsas, seasonings, and an organic line, sold through major U.S. grocery chains, independent retailers, e-commerce, and foodservice distributors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1949
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What La Preferida does
La Preferida, Inc. is a fourth-generation, family-owned manufacturer and distributor of authentic Mexican packaged food products headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, where it has operated since 1949. The company produces over 250 SKUs spanning canned beans (refried, black, pinto, chickpeas, kidney, pink, hominy, and specialty legumes), rice, salsas, taco seasonings, enchilada sauces, peppers, and dry beans, organized across retail, organic, and foodservice lines. Its organic sub-line, launched in 2009, offers USDA-certified versions of best-selling items, and its foodservice sub-line offers bulk #10 cans (up to 108oz) of beans, hominy, cheese sauces, jalapeños, and cactus for restaurants and catering operations.
La Preferida sells through a multi-channel distribution model: major grocery chains including Jewel Osco, Whole Foods, Harris-Teeter, and Publix at thousands of U.S. retail locations; independent grocers; its own Shopify e-commerce storefront (shop.lapreferida.com); an Amazon store; and the Faire wholesale marketplace for independent retailers. Revenue is generated through one-time sales of packaged goods across consumer, health-conscious, and foodservice customer segments, with marketing driven by recipe content, email/SMS, social media hashtag campaigns, and retail partnerships. Pricing is not publicly disclosed.
The company has no external funding, no parent company, and no documented AI, API, or technology platform capabilities; its competitive positioning rests on 75+ years of brand recognition in the Hispanic community, the #1 rated canned refried beans brand designation in the U.S., and broad shelf access across mainstream and specialty grocery channels.
La Preferida firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- La Preferida
- Legal name
- La Preferida, Inc.
- Website
- https://lapreferida.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1949
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- La Preferida is a fourth-generation, family-owned Chicago-based manufacturer of over 250 authentic Mexican packaged food products, including canned beans, rice, salsas, seasonings, and an organic line, sold through major U.S. grocery chains, independent retailers, e-commerce, and foodservice distributors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
La Preferida industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mexican Food Products
- NAICS
- Food Manufacturing (311), Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers (42449), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298)
- SIC
- Canned, Fruits, Veg, Preserves, Jams & Jellies (2033), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dips, Salsas, Relishes & Chutneys Manufacturing (AFAKADAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Ethnic Groceries & Shelf-Stable Foods Wholesale (AFAIAIAA), Ethnic Spices, Herbs & Seasonings Wholesale (AFAIAIAF), Ethnic & International Foods Distribution (CRAOABAG)
Keywords
Where La Preferida is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
La Preferida business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Food Sales: La Preferida generates revenue through the sale of packaged Mexican food products including canned beans, refried beans, salsas, seasonings, rice, and other authentic Mexican ingredients sold through major grocery retailers, independent grocers, and online e-commerce platforms.
- Wholesale Distribution: Revenue from wholesale orders placed through Faire Marketplace by independent retailers and small businesses stocking La Preferida products.
- Foodservice Bulk Products: Large-scale #10 cans of authentic Mexican ingredients sold to restaurants, catering companies, and foodservice operations for batch cooking and high-volume food preparation.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
La Preferida product offering
Product offeringCore offering
La Preferida manufactures and distributes over 250 authentic Mexican food products across multiple lines including canned beans (refried, black, pinto, chickpeas, kidney), rice, salsas, taco seasonings, enchilada sauces, peppers, and hominy. The portfolio spans a USDA-certified organic line, a foodservice line in large #10 cans for restaurants and caterers, and a complete range of dry legumes, peppers, and chiles sold through grocery retailers, foodservice operators, e-commerce, and wholesale channels.
Product overview
La Preferida is a family-owned Mexican food products company offering over 250 authentic Mexican ingredients since 1949. The product portfolio includes multiple product lines organized as follows: (1) Core Products featuring canned beans (refried beans, black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, pink beans, hominy, and specialty beans), rice varieties (jasmine, brown, long grain, medium grain, pearl rice), and dried legumes; (2) Organic Line featuring USDA-certified organic versions of beans, rice, seasonings, salsas, and enchilada sauces; (3) Foodservice Line featuring large #10 cans (up to 108oz) of beans, hominy, cheese sauces, jalapeños, and cactus for batch cooking and catering; (4) Seasonings & Sauces including taco seasonings (regular and organic al pastor, fish taco, fajita), enchilada sauces, moles, guacamole seasoning, and adobo; (5) Salsa Line including traditional salsas (verde, jalapeño, taquera, chipotle), taco sauces, and organic varieties; (6) Peppers & Chiles including canned jalapeños, green chiles, and nopales/cactus. The company operates a wholesale program through Faire Marketplace and direct-to-consumer online store through Shopify.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Refried Beans (Core Line)
- Canned Beans, Rice, and Dry Legumes (Core Line)
- Salsas and Taco Sauces
- Organic Product Line
- Foodservice Bulk Line (#10 Cans)
- Game Day Snack Pack (Bundle)
Companies that use La Preferida
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
La Preferida technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
La Preferida partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Faire MarketplacecoreLa Preferida partners with Faire Marketplace to enable wholesale purchasing for independent retailers. The partnership offers exclusive deals including 50% off first orders and 1 year of free shipping (up to $150 value) for new retail customers.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
La Preferida competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Herdez: Herdez is a major Mexican food brand producing salsas, sauces, peppers, and beans sold across the U.S. — directly comparable to La Preferida's product mix and authentic Mexican positioning.
- Goya Foods: The largest Hispanic food brand in the U.S., Goya competes directly across canned beans, rice, seasonings, and salsas with similar Mexican/Latin pantry SKUs and broad mainstream retail distribution. Direct analogue to La Preferida in product mix and target consumer.
- Las Palmas: Las Palmas (a B&G Foods brand) specializes in Mexican enchilada and chili sauces, directly competing with La Preferida's enchilada sauce and Mexican sauce SKUs.
- Ortega: Ortega (a B&G Foods brand) makes Mexican pantry staples including taco shells, seasonings, enchilada sauces, and salsas, overlapping La Preferida in shelf-stable Mexican categories across U.S. grocery.
- Rosarita: Rosarita (owned by Conagra) sells canned refried beans, taco sauces, and Mexican ingredients, directly competing with La Preferida's core refried bean and Mexican pantry range.
- Chi-Chi's: Chi-Chi's produces Mexican-style sauces, salsas, and taco shells sold through U.S. grocery, competing with La Preferida in shelf-stable Mexican categories.
- Bush's Best: The leading branded canned beans player in the U.S., Bush's directly competes with La Preferida's core canned bean portfolio (pinto, black, kidney, garbanzos) on grocery shelves nationwide.
- El Pato: El Pato is a Mexican-style tomato sauce brand stocked in mainstream U.S. grocery, overlapping with La Preferida's Mexican sauce and salsa product set in similar Hispanic and general-market retailers.
Broad incumbents
- Old El Paso: General Mills' Mexican food brand (taco kits, seasonings, sauces, beans) competes head-to-head with La Preferida in mainstream grocery, but operates as part of a much larger CPG portfolio with greater marketing scale.
Others
- Whole Foods 365 / Specialty Private Label: Whole Foods' 365 and other specialty private labels compete with La Preferida's organic and specialty lines on shelf space in the same premium retailer channels.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
La Preferida social profiles
Digital presenceLa Preferida financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
La Preferida leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
La Preferida funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
La Preferida M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about La Preferida
What does La Preferida do?
La Preferida manufactures and distributes over 250 authentic Mexican food products across multiple lines including canned beans (refried, black, pinto, chickpeas, kidney), rice, salsas, taco seasonings, enchilada sauces, peppers, and hominy. The portfolio spans a USDA-certified organic line, a foodservice line in large #10 cans for restaurants and caterers, and a complete range of dry legumes, peppers, and chiles sold through grocery retailers, foodservice operators, e-commerce, and wholesale channels.
Is La Preferida a public or private company?
La Preferida is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was La Preferida founded?
La Preferida was founded in 1949. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is La Preferida based?
La Preferida is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does La Preferida make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Retail Food Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale Distribution and foodservice Bulk Products.
Who are La Preferida's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Herdez, Goya Foods, Las Palmas, Ortega, Rosarita, Chi-Chi's, Bush's Best and El Pato. Old El Paso is listed as a broad incumbent. Whole Foods 365 / Specialty Private Label is listed as an others.
Does La Preferida have an API?
No public API is recorded for La Preferida.
What industry is La Preferida in?
La Preferida's product category is Mexican Food Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKADAM, Dips, Salsas, Relishes & Chutneys Manufacturing, with a secondary code of AFAIAIAA, Ethnic Groceries & Shelf-Stable Foods Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 311 and its SIC code is 2033.