Molino Tortilleria expands from farmers market stall to brick and mortar business

 

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich.—A tortilla stand that started as a booth at the St. Joseph Farmers Market has grown into an entire brick and mortar operation.

Aaron Harris and his wife, Christie, started making corn tortillas out of their own kitchen. They decided in May 2019 that they’d take their creations to the local farmers market and see what they could sell.

After a successful summer and a series of pop-ups with local chefs, the pair decided it was time to grow their tortilla business.

“At the end of the farmers market, everyone was asking you know where could they find us when the season was over and so we kind of got a lot of requests and quickly realized that we need to do something,” Harris said. “The opportunity came up to come down to Sawyer and we just kind of jumped at it. We knew it was the right place to be.”

On February 15, after months of hard work, the couple opened Molino Tortilleria on Sawyer Road.

They spend the week making corn tortillas using ingredients imported from Mexico that are then delivered to their wholesale buyers, a list that includes local restaurants like the Mason Jar Café and Plank’s Tavern.

On Saturdays, the shop opens up to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., allowing visitors from near and far to experience the homemade tortillas, along with Mexican baked goods like corn bread. The business also features a small retail selection including cactus plants, cookbooks and Molino Tortilleria merchandise.

“We import different heirloom varieties from Mexico and different places. You can get red tortillas, blue tortillas, yellow tortillas and we do fresh white corn tortillas on Saturdays,” Harris said.

In keeping with their roots, the couple is still planning to bring their tortillas to the farmers market this summer.

“It’s just such a perfect location,” Harris said.