WHAT 30 YEARS IN THE TRADE TAUGHT US
— SHARED
What 30 Years in the Trade Taught Us — Shared
SOURCING & DISTRIBUTOR GUIDES
Running a Hispanic kitchen well takes more than good product. It takes knowing how to choose it, use it, and source it — knowledge usually earned the hard way, over years. We've spent more than three decades in this trade, and we'd rather hand that knowledge to the kitchens we serve than hoard it. The Lopez Foods Resources library is where we share what we've learned, in practical guides built for operators, chefs, and buyers. No fluff, no filler — just useful information to help you run a better kitchen and protect the food you're proud of.
Sourcing & distributor guides
The Specialty Distributor vs. the Broadliner, for Hispanic Kitchens — an honest look at where broadliners fall short on Hispanic specialty, and how serious kitchens pair or replace them with a specialist.
How to Choose a Hispanic Foodservice Distributor — the questions to ask, the red flags to watch for, and what separates a real specialty partner from a catalog.
The True Cost of a Silent Substitution — why an unannounced product swap costs far more than it seems, and what to demand from your distributor.
Product & ingredient guides
PRODUCT & INGREDIENT GUIDES
A Kitchen's Guide to Dried Chiles — guajillo, ancho, chipotle, pasilla, árbol, mulato and more: heat, flavor, and how to use each.
Corn vs. Flour vs. Blue Corn Tortillas for Foodservice — choosing the right tortilla for your menu, your application, and your guests.
â—†
Mexican Cheeses Explained
â—†
Planning & operations
â—†
— queso fresco, Oaxaca, cotija, and crema: what each is, how it behaves, and when to use it.
Sourcing for Peak Volume — how to plan your ordering around Cinco de Mayo, DÃa de los Muertos, the holiday tamale season, and other high-demand stretches.
Ingredient Glossary
— a reference to the Mexican and Hispanic ingredients we carry, from chiles to cheeses to masa.
PLANNING & OPERATIONS
These guides reflect the same belief as everything we do: we know the product, we know the kitchen, and we'd rather help you make a good decision than push you toward a sale. Many of the operators who become long-term customers start by reading something here, recognizing that we actually understand the cuisine and the people who cook it — and that's exactly the point.
Whether you're choosing a new distributor, dialing in a menu, building a chile program, or planning for your busiest season, start here. And when you're ready to put a Hispanic specialist who reveres this food on your route, we're a phone call away.
â—†
Browse the guides
â—†
Request a line card
â—†
Browse the guides, request a line card to see everything we carry, or become a customer.
Browse the guides, request a line card to see everything we carry, or become a customer.
Become a customer
Browse the guides, request a line card to see everything we carry, or become a customer.
Dried chiles, tortilla types, Mexican cheeses — explained.
INGREDIENT GUIDES
â—†
KNOW-HOW FROM THE ROUTE.
Practical guides on chiles, tortillas, cheeses, sourcing, and choosing a distributor.
Specialty vs. broadliner, peak-volume planning, choosing a distributor.
RESOURCES
SOURCING & BUYING
â—†
A glossary and quick references
for your team.
â—†
REFERENCE