DORAL, MIAMI — In a Doral warehouse just west of Miami, a company that began more than two decades ago as a small operation supplying Latin American products to South Florida grocers has grown into one of the country’s leading Hispanic food brands, with a distribution footprint now stretching across the United States and into Puerto Rico.
Origins & Growth
El Latino Foods, operating under the corporate name Intermark Foods, was founded in 2002 with a straightforward mission: bring authentic Latin American food products to the U.S. market and make them easy for Hispanic families to find.
The company grew rapidly in its first decade, expanding elevenfold by 2014 — a trajectory that earned it recognition from Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation, alongside additional distinctions as a “Top Latino-Run,” “Top Women-Owned,” and “Top Food and Beverage” company.
That growth has continued to define the company’s identity: rather than treating its early success as a plateau, El Latino Foods used those years to build out its own distribution capabilities, automate internal processes, and streamline its delivery routes, while putting in place strict quality control standards across its product line.
El Latino Foods is led by President Maria Elena Ibañez, for whom the company represents her third successful startup venture. Her leadership has been closely tied to the brand’s public identity, and the company has featured her story prominently in its own press materials as part of its broader narrative of Hispanic entrepreneurship in South Florida.
Today, El Latino Foods’ product line spans more than 120 refrigerated and frozen items, organized around several core categories: arepas, tequeños, cachapas, empanadas, and pandebono; cheeses and creams; sausages and hams; drinkable yogurts with probiotics; and frozen prepared foods, vegetables, and fruit pulps.
The company organizes its catalog not only by category but by country of origin as well, offering products tied to Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Venezuela — a structure that reflects the genuinely pan-Latin American, rather than single-country, identity at the center of the brand.
Distribution & Reach
El Latino Foods’ products are currently available in more than 2,000 stores nationwide, including major grocery chains and independent Hispanic supermarkets.
The company operates a full-service Direct-Store Distribution network stretching from Palm Beach to the Florida Keys, supported by its own sales teams, a dedicated frozen and refrigerated warehouse, and a truck fleet equipped with geo-tracking technology and a custom distribution management system.
Beyond Florida, the company maintains retail and restaurant clients across seven additional states and Puerto Rico. Its service offerings extend beyond simple delivery to include in-store merchandising, product placement and replenishment, experienced in-store sampling teams, and the design and management of in-store promotions and displays.
Amazon Partnership
A significant milestone in El Latino Food’ distribution history came in June 2017, when Amazon announced a partnership with the company as part of the launch of its Prime Now delivery service in Miami.
The partnership gave Amazon Prime members the ability to order El Latino Foods products online and receive them in under two hours, with no delivery charges — extending the brand’s reach into e-commerce alongside its traditional brick-and-mortar grocery presence.
The company’s products remain available today through Amazon Prime Now and AmazonFresh, in addition to physical retailers including Presidente Supermarket, Fresco y Más, and other regional chains.
Awards & Recognition
El Latino Foods’ growth has been formally recognized on multiple occasions over the years. The company appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies annually from 2009 through 2012, and separately earned Inc. 5000 distinctions in 2011 as a Top Women-Run company, a Top Food and Beverage company, and a Top Latino-Run company.
Beyond the Inc. 5000 recognitions, the company received the American Dreamer Award in 2013, the Premio Colombia in 2013, a Minority Supplier of the Year distinction in 2015, and the Premio Inspiración in 2016.
Media Coverage
El Latino Foods’ growth story has drawn sustained attention from South Florida media over the years, with the company’s press materials featuring coverage from the Miami Herald and Florida Trend, among other outlets, alongside television commercials and news segments highlighting its product lines and its founder’s entrepreneurial journey.
Headquartered at 6550 NW 97th Avenue in Doral, Florida, El Latino Foods continues operating as a Miami-rooted company with a national distribution footprint, built specifically around serving the Hispanic grocery market with products spanning more than a dozen countries of origin.
More than two decades after its founding, the company’s combination of in-house distribution infrastructure, a broad multi-category product catalog, and an early, well-publicized partnership with Amazon has positioned it as one of the more established Hispanic food brands operating out of South Florida today.
This article is Sponsored Content, published in partnership with El Latino Foods.
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For information on products by El Latino Foods, visit their website ellatinofoods.com
