Without a doubt, the “Gallinitas” marked several generations of Argentine children. They were born in Alta Gracia, in a small room, and from there they multiplied until they reached the entire country. From the “city of Tajamar”, and with entrepreneurial spirit, Hugo Pugliese created this product that became an icon in Argentine kiosks.
To the just like the “tutucas” (puffed corn) that were also born in Córdoba, in this case in La Falda; the “Gallinitas” Pío Pío They won the affection of children and adults who grew up with these treats.
According to the Cosas Nuestras portal, more than 50 years ago Alta Gracia saw the birth of this product.
The story of the Gallinita Pío Pío in Alta Gracia
“Before little chickens we start with the little honeys, in a small room on Mansilla Street. They were those small sachets that were sold in strips. I then started working at Terrabusi and in the meantime, we started making the chickens,” Pugliese recalled. Both inventions were very successful.
“The beginnings go back about 50 years. We started the chicken factory in a small shed at the back of the house. At first it was a birth that only a crazy person like me could face. It was a very artisanal process that from the start meant that there were 15 girls working in the factory. It took us a lot to find the way around, until we did it through pure trial and error.”
A former chef from Arcor, named Sosa, was the one who taught him part of the secret of chickens, plus the imprint of Hugo Pugliese, who invented machines to speed up the production process.
“I had to learn everything from mechanics, engineering and even chemistry to be able to carry out everything. Over time we reduced manufacturing times and managed to make up to 50,000 chickens per day. And we didn’t do more because they didn’t give us the spaces or the machines,” she recalls.
To make such a small and cheap candy work, many quantities had to be made.
“Our market was almost throughout the country. For example, when we did the sales tour we started in Jesús María and the north of the province and continued through Santiago, Tucumán, Salta, Jujuy, went down through Catamarca and La Rioja and returned through Carlos Paz. Also, other provinces too. We went to the falls and to Bariloche, to tell you. One week the seller came out and the next we went with two buses to deliver. We had two of those “camel” cars that the Chevallier used. A significant sales figure had to be covered to cover expenses. It was something that required a lot of perseverance. Otherwise, no one would have lasted.”
Hugo worked at Terrabusi, but with the little chickens he began to grow. “We had up to 45 girls working, plus the preventive specialists. Over time we expanded to a larger shed at the back of the house. There we put the new machines for the other products that we started to make,” he added.
The toys also arrived
“We start with winter ice creams. Then the chocolate dipped snacks. We even made the packaging. Many other sweets were added such as alfajores (which did not work), liquor bombitos dipped in chocolate, chocopito (a tapa of alfajor with a splash of dulce de leche and dipped in chocolate). And let’s not forget the sachet toys, which were a huge success. If I made 50 thousand chickens a day, I made 100,000 little games a day”.
“It was a crazy thing. I don’t think there has been another product with that level of sales. They asked me for it from everywhere and I had up to 7 “sachetera” machines to be able to supply. And with greater technology, of course. In this case, it was also trial and error until we managed to get the new machines running and start producing. From March to August I lived on other products, from September or October, I dedicated myself to juices (there were five flavors: orange, strawberry, lemon, pineapple and cola). We had to work 24 hours a day because the toy season was very short and we had to make it perform at its maximum,” he added.
It was founded in 2001
“As there was no more room for the machines in the little shed, I went to the corner of Dalinger and Lepri. I bought the place from Danilo Bonamici, who had his workshop there. I was there until I totally melted down, in 2001. Some of the girls went on to work for whoever bought the factory from me, others lost their jobs, but they all earned what they should have. I was left without a coin, but no one was hurt. Anyway, I paid everyone and I had to reinvent myself“he told Cosas Nuestros.
New item
Then, Pugliese dedicated himself to another field: wood.
“I dedicated myself to making wood moldings. I sold a car, took out a loan and bought a machine. In a short time, and with 5 employees, I earned more than I had in my entire life. “He had the warehouse on 24 de Septiembre Street, just past the bridge.”
“The secret to all this was having products that did not compete with anyone. The large factories did not make them because it was almost all handmade. I didn’t have any competition. It was the most difficult way to do, but the easiest to sell. He always told the vendors that “the small merchants, for us, were the big ones.”
Then the site adds: Today, more than two decades after having sold his factory, Hugo Pugliese remembers one and a thousand anecdotes about his venture. “I chose the most difficult one and it didn’t go badly,” he tells us while he relies on the usual company of Elisa, his wife. “And to think that we started everything with her and a little pot.”
