How soon might La Tiara taco shells be back on shelves? We have a hint
It’s been nearly a year since La Tiara taco shells disappeared from grocery store shelves. Now comes word from Gladstone City Hall that their return could be just months away.
According to documents from Monday night’s city council meeting, La Tiara’s new owner, General Mills, plans to reopen the company’s factory at 607 NE 69th St. in January.
To staff up, the company is hosting a hiring fair Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Gladstone Community Center, 6901 N. Holmes St.
“Their goals are to expand and operate three separate shifts to increase production,” says an item in Monday’s agenda. “They are looking to expand from approximately 20 to 70 employees.”
It’s not yet clear how soon La Tiara taco shells would be available after the factory is up and running again. A representative from General Mills did not respond to a request for more information.
Gladstone Food Products, the family-run company behind La Tiara, shut down in January after a drawn-out construction project stalled its expansion and drained its finances.
Fans refused to let the brand die quietly, turning a shuttered company into a social-media cause, gathering on a Facebook page titled Please Bring Back La Tiara Taco Shells. What began as a few hundred mourners swelled into a community that today counts nearly 20,000 members.
The response revealed a hidden fan base far more passionate than was previously known. That led General Mills to step in and purchase the assets of the company out of receivership for approximately $10 million in June.
General Mills also owns the Old El Paso brand, which has a taco shell line. Some on the Facebook fan page had questioned whether General Mills simply bought La Tiara to eliminate a potential competitor. But with La Tiara signs outside the Gladstone plant and the hiring fair scheduled, those concerns can safely be put to rest.
