Overview
- Lines wrapped around the Downey parking lot Tuesday as tens of thousands of customers flock to Amapola’s three L.A.-area stores each season for its sought-after, freshly made masa.
- Shoppers drove from Bakersfield, Riverside, Hesperia and even Las Vegas, with some arriving well before dawn or camping overnight to be in place when doors opened.
- Employees begin production at 3 a.m., grinding cooked corn and mixing ingredients to fill bags of savory and sweet masas while tortillas roll off a nearby conveyor.
- CEO Rolando Pozos calls the rush an annual “masa pilgrimage” and says prices have been kept steady for a third year as families prepare large batches of tamales.
- The holiday surge is fueled by multi-generational tamaladas for La Noche Buena, and the market opens early and urges customers to come early due to hours-long waits.