# Del Real Foods

> Del Real Foods is a family-founded California manufacturer of authentic Hispanic prepared foods - slow-cooked carnitas, barbacoa, tamales, pupusas and salsas sold refrigerated and ready to heat. Started as a commissary supplying Cardenas Markets, it built a business on traditional recipes with no preservatives and national distribution through Costco, Target, Kroger, Sam's Club, foodservice and its own online store. In 2024 the Guatemalan family conglomerate CMI acquired a controlling stake from Palladium Equity Partners.

- **Founded:** 2002
- **Headquarters:** Jurupa Valley, California, United States
- **Founders:** The Cardenas Family (Founding family), Jesus Cardenas Jr. (Family principal / equity holder)
- **Team size:** Approximately 360-1,000 employees (third-party estimates vary); operates plants in Mira Loma, California and Moore, Oklahoma.
- **Products:** Slow-cooked meats, Tamales, Pupusas, Salsas, Sides
- **Notable:** Progressive Grocer 2024 Editors' Picks Award for Birria & Cheese Mini Pupusas, Expanded to select Target stores nationwide in June 2025 following category growth, Reported +1.9 points weighted distribution growth YoY across Total US (26 weeks ending 5/17/2025), with double-digit gains at major club and grocery retailers

## Products & services

- **Slow-cooked meats** — Carnitas, barbacoa, shredded/pulled chicken, chicken fajitas, birria, al pastor and chile verde - fully cooked, refrigerated, and ready to heat in about five minutes.
- **Tamales** — Pork, chicken, beef and cheese tamales in traditional sauces.
- **Pupusas** — Birria & cheese, carnitas & cheese and chicken & 3-cheese mini pupusas; the Chicken & 3-Cheese Mini Pupusas are a Sam's Club exclusive.
- **Salsas** — Fire-roasted red, green and mild salsas plus salsa de molcajete.
- **Sides** — Mexican rice and refried beans.
- **Taco meal kits** — Birria and al pastor taco kits combining protein, tortillas and sauce.
- **Foodservice line** — A dedicated division supplying restaurants, institutions and K-12 markets through its foodservice site.

## Achievements

- Progressive Grocer 2024 Editors' Picks Award for Birria & Cheese Mini Pupusas
- Expanded to select Target stores nationwide in June 2025 following category growth
- Reported +1.9 points weighted distribution growth YoY across Total US (26 weeks ending 5/17/2025), with double-digit gains at major club and grocery retailers
- Grew from a single-chain commissary into a national multi-channel brand with two U.S. manufacturing plants

## Latest updates

- **2025-06** — Expanded to select Target stores across the country with carnitas, barbacoa, chicken fajitas and birria & cheese mini pupusas.
- **2025-10** — CEO Michael Axelrod departed to lead Snak King; no public successor announced.
- **2024-10** — Corporacion Multi Inversiones (CMI) acquired a controlling stake from Palladium Equity Partners; the Cardenas family and Palladium retained minority stakes.

## Links

- Website: https://delrealfoods.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/del-real-foods/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/DelRealFoods
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DelRealFoods
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delrealfoods/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/delrealfoods/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatdelrealfoods

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/del-real-foods
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-14