the story of Gonzalo, the brand of the copetín in Mendoza

Products, from the fair to the factory and the supermarket

According to Leandro “when my grandfather’s neighbors found out what he did, they told him he had to start selling them.”

It was the first push. The next one was meet Jose Angulothe founder of the VEA supermarket.

At Angulo’s request, Gonzalo faced a greater production to market them on a scale. And thus the brand would begin to become massively known among the people of Mendoza.

Then, García was already clear about the secrets of the production chain, from raw materials to the final product. Before embarking on the project, the young Iberian immigrant I had worked at the fair of Guaymallén and in several restaurantswhich enriched their knowledge of potatoes as an input and how to select the best one.

But the second generation García Rodríguez, the brothers José Antonio and Gonzalo, were in charge of consolidating the brand as No. 1 as a supplier of snack products in Mendoza.

Pablo review that the greatest growth “was in the ’90s, when due to demand we began to hire more personnel and incorporate machinery. And because of the attachment we had, like my father, when we finished high school we joined the company.”

Currently, the Garcías continue to test a production process that combines the craftsmanship of the first link with technological innovation.

“Based on what we know, It starts with the selection of the best potato. Follow the frying, which requires the use of machines that are updated and a lot of visual control. He packaging is also manualbecause it also marks the people’s preference for their homemade taste despite not being homemade fries“, emphasizes Pablo.

Gonzalo and his DNA

“What my father (José Antonio) did, my brother Pablo and I continue as responsible for maintaining Gonzalo’s DNA,” Leandro states confidently.

What is Gonzalo DNA about? What is the genetic material unchanged until today?

For the heir and current driver of the firm “basically, the honesty and the word from my grandfather in those times to seal a deal, a sale or a delivery. It is fundamental, and to this day we respect it as heirs.”

But without a doubt the quality It is non-negotiable.

“If someone tried the fries from my grandfather’s time and those from now, they will not find any differences. Added to that is a good image when offering the products”, say the members of the 3rd generation of the family, with memories of a childhood that passed like a game in the business.

Paul warns that the new millennium brought needs to boost business. Basically, the control of quality “and over time, with my brother we focused on process analysis, improvements and systematization“.

More recently, the desire to maintain product excellence and brand leadership led them to incorporate more technology and management of social networks for communication, for greater digital recognition of the brand. We work simultaneously in that area, in administration and in marketing.”

A 100% Mendoza brand

Even from the family business they have a cult of packaging transparencywhich allows you to see all the content “with the same flavor and without waste. That’s why they choose us.”

Other differential with other competitors foreign: the stock market has a real weight, without air, both for potatoes and other products such as corn chizitos and salty sticks, part of Gonzalo’s commercial line.

However, confidence in a 100% Mendoza brand For the García brothers, it is an added value that makes a whole different. A plus that reinforces the fact that it is a business always run by its own owners “who also choose the raw materials to make the products, something intrinsic to the brand and why they also choose us.”

“They choose us over others because, precisely, we do not sell air. We make potatoes made with oil and salt, nothing more, without chemicals or flavoring. And when they choose us, they choose a region of Mendoza to eat”, they highlight as part of a preparation that they define as “very homemade” to difference from the most industrialized.

Beyond all these distinctive characteristics, the family does not forget the presence of the founder, who until his last days still served customers on the other side of the counter. “Many were surprised to see a big man who gave them some products and was always humble and low profile, especially when they found out it was Gonzalo. “That always gave us a lot of pride.”