Our Story
One family. One set of recipes. Every scoop and salsa made in this building.
How it started
From coolers to Grand Street
In 2019, the family started selling homemade Mexican ice cream out of coolers — flavors like mango, tamarindo, coco and limón that you couldn’t find anywhere around Kalamazoo County.
The demand kept growing, and soon the food followed: tacos al pastor, quesabirria with consomé, tamales from homemade masa. When the little building at 321 N Grand St opened up, Monarca’s had a home.
Today everything still gets made the same way — from scratch, in small batches, by the same hands. Matilde runs the kitchen, Pedro runs the front, and daughter Leslie is usually the one handing you your mangonada with a smile.
See What They’re Making
Why “Monarca”?
The monarch butterfly migrates thousands of miles between México and Michigan every year — the same journey this family’s recipes made. The butterfly on our logo honors that trip.
Hecho en casa
Salsas, masa, helados, agua fresca — all made in-house, never outsourced.
Familia first
You’re eating what we feed our own kids. That’s the standard.
Community
Schoolcraft fed us when we started. We give back every chance we get.