Alice's tortilla chip fryer
Donation protected
Five years ago, at the age of 70, Alice Heffernan fulfilled her father's dream and opened a tortilleria in Gallatin, Tennessee, outside of Nashville.
It was a struggle, but now Alice has become a favorite at farmer's markets and organic grocery stores.
Her tortillas are made with just three ingredients--corn, water and lime. But it's her freshly made tortilla chips that have really become a local favorite.
Currently Alice arrives at her shop at 3 a.m. to begin making the fresh tortillas that she then cuts into triangles to fry in two household kitchen fryers. The demand has become too much to handle with the two small fryers. And she often is frying the small batches of chips for more than 6 hours a day.
She has purchased an industrial fryer, but it costs $7,500 to have it installed.
The company--Tortilleria Santo Nino de Atocha --is just beginning to break even and this expense is more than what is in the current budget.
Having an industrial fryer means Alice won't have to stand frying chips for 6 hours a day, but rather fill her orders in half the time. It will also mean she can greatly expand her sales in less time.
Alice loves her customers and they love her.
It was a struggle, but now Alice has become a favorite at farmer's markets and organic grocery stores.
Her tortillas are made with just three ingredients--corn, water and lime. But it's her freshly made tortilla chips that have really become a local favorite.
Currently Alice arrives at her shop at 3 a.m. to begin making the fresh tortillas that she then cuts into triangles to fry in two household kitchen fryers. The demand has become too much to handle with the two small fryers. And she often is frying the small batches of chips for more than 6 hours a day.
She has purchased an industrial fryer, but it costs $7,500 to have it installed.
The company--Tortilleria Santo Nino de Atocha --is just beginning to break even and this expense is more than what is in the current budget.
Having an industrial fryer means Alice won't have to stand frying chips for 6 hours a day, but rather fill her orders in half the time. It will also mean she can greatly expand her sales in less time.
Alice loves her customers and they love her.
Organizer and beneficiary
Lillian Leopold
Organizer
Bonita, CA
Alice Heffernan
Beneficiary