The holiday season is here, which means it’s also tamale season.
However this time of year happens to be the busiest for those involved in the tamale-making business. Now, those businesses are urging customers to place their tamale orders as soon as possible.
Rosemary Benavides, the owner of Granny’s Tamales, says because business is mushrooming this time of year. Her staff come in at 6 a.m. to begin making tamales for their customers.
“Because we have orders to fill and we cannot go without filling our orders and making sure everything goes right,” Benavides said.
During her 20-year tenure owning her shop, Benavides says that her business always picks up during the holidays.
“This time of year, we’re in high demand,” Benavides said. “And phones are ringing and ringing and ringing.”
Business began picking up in November around the Thanksgiving holiday. Benavides says now, on average, her staff makes up to 600 dozen tamales daily. And it’s not always an easy task.
“We’re like back and forth, we’re crossing each other, bumping into each other,” said Melissa Zamora, a staff member at Granny’s Tamales.
However to meet the high demand, employees work long days, sometimes a 16-hour day. Staff also rely on the help of a machine that can make about 22 dozen tamales in seven minutes. Plus, a handful of vans deliver tamale orders, ensuring everyone gets their fresh tamales.
“We never turn anybody down,” Zamora said. “So if we run out of pots, we actually tell them it takes us an hour and 15 minutes to cook a pot.”
And as her products are flying out the door, customers are swarming in for their fresh, hot, delicious tamales.
“I always try to come early in the morning before I go to work,” said Creselda Cardiel, a loyal Granny’s Tamales customer. “So I don’t have to wait in line.”
