About - Tequesitos

WHAT IS A TEQUEÑO

Legend has it that many years ago some cooks (housewives), from a town in Venezuela called “Los Teques”, while cooking, took some leftovers of cheese and wheat dough and came up with a delicious product they called “tequeño”.
This delicious product, a snack, started to become popular every time a neighbor from “Los Teques” celebrated some special occasion in their house.
The years went by and this snack started to spread its popularity to other nearby towns and by the end of the twentieth century, they were known in all the towns and cities of Venezuela.
The feeling towards the “tequeño” was such, that everyone in Venezuela said that “a party without tequeños, is not a party!”

Company History

Our beginnings

At the beginning of the twentieth first century, exactly in 2002, Enrique Croes and a group of fellow students, decided to get the “tequeño” out of the house and the parties and take them to the cinemas so that all Venezuelans could have the opportunity to delight themselves every day by starting “Tequechongos!”, a company dedicated to the production and selling of “tequeños” in the cinemas of Venezuela.

Expansion

Sometime later, Enrique decides to buy all the shareholdings from his original partners and associate with Francisco Perez, to start, from the latter’s grandmother’s kitchen and using the special family recipe the expansion of “Tequechongos!”, taking them to all sorts of entertainment centers, universities,
sport stadiums, their own shops and commercial franchises in malls, airports and/or any other places with high circulation.

SUCCESS

The success of the company, its innovative business model and market penetration, plus the high acceptance of the “tequeños” made with the family recipe, motivated Enrique and Francisco, in 2010, to partner with a group of Mexican entrepreneurs and the Investment Fund VARIV Capital for its expansion in Mexico and the rest of Central America under the brand “Tequesitos!”, and they already have more than 800 selling spots spread throughout the main cinemas, stadiums, casinos and entertainment centers for kids. In 2011 they went to Colombia, and repeated the business model.

FIRST INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION

In 2011 Tequesitos! expanded to Colombia, and repeated it's successful business model.

TEQUESITOs ARRIVES to USA

In 2012, they associated with Pedro R. Tinoco, to expand “Tequesitos!” in the United States, starting with the city of Miami, located in South Florida, where they are already distributing in the supermarket food chain Sedano’s, the American Airlines Arena, the Miami Convention Center, in the parks chain Sky Zone, as well as in their own shops in malls.

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Our beginnings

Sometime later, Enrique decides to buy all the shareholdings from his original partners and associate with Francisco Perez, to start, from the latter’s grandmother’s kitchen and using the special family recipe, the expansion of “Tequechongos!”, taking them to all sorts of entertainment centers, universities, sport stadiums, their own shops and commercial franchises in malls, airports and/or any other places with high circulation.

Success

The success of the company, its innovative business model and market penetration, plus the high acceptance of the “tequeños” made with the family recipe, motivated Enrique and Francisco, in 2010, to associate with Luis Beltran and the Investment Fund Variv Capital for its expansion in Mexico and the rest of Central America under the brand “Tequesitos!”, and they already have more that 800 selling spots spread throughout the main cinemas, stadiums, casinos and entertainment centers for kids.

First International Expansion

In 2011 Tequesitos expanded to Colombia, and repeated it's successful business model.

Tequesito Arrives in USA

In 2012, they associated with Pedro R. Tinoco, to expand “Tequesitos!” in the United States, starting with the city of Miami, located in South Florida, where they are already distributing in the supermarket food chain Sedano’s, the AmericanAirlines Arena, the Miami Convention Center, in the parks chain Sky Zone, as well as in their own shops in malls.

2002

The company is created (March)

2003

An alliance is established with one of the country's leading movie theater chains to start selling in its candy stores/food concessions.

2003

In the middle of the year we moved to my grandfather's house in Alta Florida (La Casita Rosada).

2004

Work begins on remodeling of a commercial space in Sta Eduvigis (Sept)

2005

The first franchise is sold and 38 points of sale are achieved nationwide

2006

We reach 60 stores nationwide

2007

Negotiations were reached to install tents in the 9 stadiums that served as venues for the 2007 Copa America Venezuela.

2007

The RETAIL presentation is launched and begins to be sold in major chains and independent supermarkets throughout Venezuela.

2008

We moved to lebrun. Production plant and offices: Production, storage and distribution center with 3800m2 of construction and 8000m2 of land.

2009

Tequechongos new image is launched!

2010

Operations began in Mexico, a maquiladora was hired, the machinery was supplied, and an alliance was made with the main operator of public shows to sell Tequesitos! at all its events.

2011

Tequesitos! brand is introduced in the main movie theaters in Mexico. More than 300 establishments

2012

Operations begin in Colombia

2013

We get into cinemas in Colombia

2013

Operations begin in the USA

2014

New production plant is built in Mexico

2015

Frozen dough discs line for home-made empanadas is launched on the market.

2016

Commercial bread line for institutional/food service channel is launched

2016

In the USA, 2 stores are set up in the AmericanAirlines Arena, now FTX Arena, it is positioned as an ideal product to enjoy sporting events.

2017

Retail/mass consumption/automarket channel opens in mexico

2017

Cookie line is launched on the market

2018

Present at the annual convention of the National Association of Concessionaires in New Orleans

2019

Tequesitos! is present at the Cinemacon in Las Vegas

2020

In the midst of the pandemic Tequesitos! develops a special product line for OXXO convenience stores with more than 18,000 stores in Mexico and initiates pilot test in its laboratory stores.

2021

Tequesitos! in more than 100 supermarkets in Florida

2002
Se crea la empresa (marzo)
2003
Se establece alianza con una de las principales cadenas de cine del país para comenzar a vender en sus caramelerías / concesiones de comida
2004
Se abre la primera tienda (oct). Feria de comida de la Universidad Católica Andres Bello
2005
Se vende la primera franquicia y se logran 38 puntos de venta a nivel nacional
2006
Se alcanzan 60 tiendas a nivel nacional
2007
Se logra negociación para instalar tiendas en los 9 estadios a nivel nacional que sirvieron de sede/dieron lugar a la Copa America Venezuela 2007
2008
Nos mudamos a lebrun. Planta de producción y oficinas: Centro de produccion, almacemaniento y distribución 3800m2. Terreno de 8000m2
2009
Lanzamiento nueva imagen Tequechongos!
2010
Se inician operaciones en México, se consigue maquilador, se realiza alianza con la principal empresa de espectaculos para vender Tequesitos! en todos sus eventos