El Maiz

What El Maiz does

El Maíz - Mexican Products GmbH is a privately held Swiss specialty retailer founded in 1984 in Zürich that imports and sells authentic Mexican food, beverage, and cultural products to the Mexican diaspora and Mexican food enthusiasts in Switzerland and Europe. The company operates a dual-channel model: two physical retail stores (Zürich flagship at Josefstrasse 23 and Fribourg at Avenue de la Gare 10, opened November 2023) and a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront (elmaiz.ch) shipping across Switzerland and Europe with free delivery on orders over 79 CHF. Its catalog spans 11 categories and over 921 online SKUs — including tortillas, prepared foods, salsas and moles, snacks, beers, wines and spirits (tequila, mezcal), non-alcoholic beverages, spices, sweets, and party supplies — sourced from mass-market brands such as El Yucateco, Valentina, JARRITOS, and MI ADELITA alongside gourmet producers like KI Gourmet and MASAMOR organic.

The business goes beyond retail by acting as a cultural ambassador for Mexican gastronomy in Europe. Founder Pilar Palomares has positioned the company as official ambassador for El Yucateco products and hosts annual events such as Viva México in Fribourg (2023–2026), with participation in Día de Muertos, Vegan Festival Zürich, Food Street Festival, GRULAC, and Latinoamérica Fest. The company also runs a recipe blog and offers catering services for Mexican-themed events. Revenue comes from per-unit retail product sales across both physical and online channels, with the online channel serving as the primary mechanism for European geographic expansion beyond the two Swiss storefronts. There are no external investors, no funding rounds, and no disclosed revenue figures; the company operates as a founder-owned, family-run enterprise with 7 employees.

El Maíz's strategic posture is that of a culturally embedded niche retailer: it leverages 40+ years of brand heritage, institutional recognition from the Mexican Embassy and Academia Mexicana de Gastronomía, and a roster of international awards (Taco de Oro Dubai 2022, 2023, 2024) to entrench itself as the trusted gateway for authentic Mexican products in the Swiss and European market. The single most significant recent strategic move was the November 2023 Fribourg store opening, which broke a four-decade single-location pattern and signals a multi-city growth ambition.

Name

El Maiz

Legal name

El Maíz - Mexican Products GmbH

Website

https://elmaiz.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

El Maíz is a Swiss specialty retailer founded in 1984 that imports and sells over 921 authentic Mexican food, beverage, and cultural products through two physical stores in Zürich and Fribourg and a pan-European Shopify e-commerce storefront, serving the Mexican diaspora and Mexican food enthusiasts in Switzerland and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Food Retail

NAICS

Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (4453), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298)

SIC

Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)

akta.pro primary industry

Latin American & Caribbean Grocery Stores (CRAHAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

International Specialty Ingredients & Import Markets (CRAHAFAL)

Keywords

• Mexican grocery retail
• Authentic food products
• Specialty ethnic foods
• Online mexican supermarket
• Latin american cuisine

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Revenue from selling Mexican food products including tortillas, prepared foods, salsas, moles, snacks, beverages, alcoholic drinks, and party supplies through physical stores and online e-commerce platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

El Maíz is a specialty Mexican food retailer that sells authentic Mexican grocery products (tortillas, prepared foods, salsas, moles, spices, snacks, beers, tequilas, mezcal, non-alcoholic beverages, sweets, and party supplies) through two physical stores in Zürich and Fribourg and a Shopify-powered e-commerce store shipping across Switzerland and Europe. The business also offers catering for Mexican-themed events and cultural festivals.

Product overview

El Maíz operates as a Mexican specialty grocery and gourmet food retailer with both physical retail locations (Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland) and an e-commerce platform powered by Shopify. The business offers over 921 products across 11 main categories, including tortillas, prepared Mexican foods, sauces and moles, sweets and piñatas, snacks, beers, wines and spirits, non-alcoholic beverages, spices, and party supplies. The core offering centers on authentic Mexican culinary products from both mass-market brands (El Yucateco, Valentina, JARRITOS, MI ADELITA) and gourmet/artisan producers (KI Gourmet, MASAMOR organic). Services extend to retail, online ordering with shipping across Switzerland and Europe, and catering for events. The company positions itself as an ambassador of Mexican gastronomy and culture in Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tortillas (Flour and Corn) Fresh flour and corn tortillas from brands including MI ADELITA, MASAMOR, and MOCTEZUMA, including organic blue and yellow corn options for retail and home cooking.
• Comida Mexicana (Mexican Prepared Foods) Ready-to-eat Mexican foods including tamales, beans, cheeses (Oaxaca, Fresco, Panela, Cotija), tomatillos, and vegan alternatives like Cochinita Pibil and Chilorio de Soja.
• Salsas y Moles Traditional Mexican sauces and moles including Salsa Valentina, El Yucateco habanero sauces, KI Gourmet artisan salsas, mole pastes, and chile-based condiments.
• Dulces y Piñatas Mexican sweets including traditional candies (Paleta, Chupa Chups, VERO brands), dulce de leche, chocolate bonbons, amaranth treats, and festive piñatas for celebrations.
• Snacks Mexicanos Mexican snack foods including tortilla chips (MI ADELITA, MASAMOR brands), chicharrones, tostadas, and flavored peanuts from CHILIPINES.
• Cervezas Mexicanas Mexican beers including Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo, Pacifico Clara, Indio, Bohemia, Dos Equis XX, and Tecate.
• Vinos y Licores Alcoholic beverages including tequila varieties (Blanco, Reposado, Añejo) from brands such as INICIO, 1800 Reserva, Herradura, Don Julio, Espolón, Jose Cuervo; mezcal; and wines including Garnacha and Chardonnay from Leo y Frida and Matiz y Frida.
• Bebidas sin Alcohol Non-alcoholic Mexican beverages including JARRITOS flavored sodas (Guayaba, Tamarindo, Limón, Mango, Mandarina, Piña, Toronja, Sandia, Fresa, Mexican Cola), and El Yucateco syrups (Horchata, Jamaica, Tamarindo).
• Especias y Condimentos Mexican spices, dried chiles, and condiments including achiote paste, chipotle peppers, dried herbs, and specialty ingredients for traditional Mexican cooking.
• Artículos de Fiesta Mexican party supplies including decorative items, sombreros, piñatas, and celebration accessories for themed events.
• Online E-commerce Store Shopify-powered online store enabling customers in Switzerland and Europe to browse and purchase Mexican products for home delivery, with over 921 products across multiple categories and free shipping on orders over 79 CHF.
• Retail Store - Zürich Flagship retail store located at Josefstrasse 23, 8005 Zürich, operating Monday-Friday 09:30-18:30 and Saturday 09:30-17:00, stocking over 2,000 authentic Mexican products.
• Retail Store - Fribourg Second retail location at Avenue de la Gare 10, 1700 Fribourg, opened November 2023, operating Monday-Friday 09:00-19:00 and Saturday 09:00-16:00.
• Catering and Events Catering services for Mexican food events, weddings, and themed parties, including participation in cultural festivals such as Viva México, Día de Muertos, Vegan Festival Zürich, and Food Street Festival.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• El YucatecoflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEl Maíz is an official ambassador of El Yucateco products, selling the full range of El Yucateco salsas, achiote, and other authentic Mexican ingredients. This partnership positions El Maíz as a premier destination for El Yucateco products in Switzerland and Europe.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• La Tienda: US-based online specialty retailer focused on authentic Spanish and Latin American (including Mexican) ingredients, cookbooks, and gifts. Comparable in curatorial specialty-grocery positioning and diaspora/enthusiast targeting, though US-focused.
• Cool Chile Company: UK-based specialist retailer of authentic Mexican and Latin American ingredients, pantry goods, and party supplies, operating both an online store and physical presence. Directly comparable to El Maíz in assortment focus, diaspora-and-enthusiast customer mix, and dual physical/online model.
• MexGrocer UK: Long-running UK online Mexican grocery retailer offering tortillas, salsas, beans, drinks, and party supplies. Closely comparable in category mix (tortillas/salsas/snacks/beers/piñatas) and target customers (UK Mexican diaspora plus Mexican-food enthusiasts).
• MexGrocer.de (Mexica Foods): Germany-based online Mexican food specialist shipping across the DACH region. Direct comparable in continental-European Mexican specialty grocery + e-commerce model, serving the same Latin-diaspora-plus-enthusiast customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Migros: Switzerland's largest retailer and a dominant grocery incumbent. Comparable as the principal retail channel where Swiss consumers shop for everyday groceries, including any international/Mexican items — a key competitive context for El Maíz's specialist positioning.
• Coop Switzerland: Second-largest Swiss grocery retailer with broad international and ethnic food assortments. Relevant incumbent benchmark whose potential expansion of Mexican SKUs could directly compete with El Maíz's core categories.

Emerging players

• Sous Chef: UK online specialty food retailer offering curated international pantry ingredients, cookware, and gift bundles with strong editorial content. Comparable in content-driven specialty food e-commerce model targeting food-curious consumers across Europe.
• Spice Mountain: UK specialty retailer focused on single-origin spices, dried chiles, and pantry staples with strong content and recipe marketing. Comparable as a curated ethnic/specialty pantry e-commerce brand with content-led customer engagement, though broader than Mexican.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/elmaizzurich
• Instagraminstagram.com/el_maiz_mexicanproducts
• TikToktiktok.com/@el_maiz_mexican_products
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/el-maiz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about El Maiz