CHINO HILLS, CA - Amor Salsita is a story born of love. Of curiosity. And of food that is itself the story. If you have met Geraldine "Gerrie" Pompa, the company's Founder, you know that passion can, in fact, be infused in food. As summer deepens across Southern California, Gerrie spoke to me about the brand's latest program debut—a fresh guacamole now making its way to market.

"Our goal with Amor Salsita's guacamole is to bring a fresh, premium table-side guacamole to consumers, starting in Pavilions in Southern California," Gerrie began. "If you go to a Mexican restaurant and they're making it in that molcajete—table-side—that is the experience I wanted to bring to the consumer. Community is built around meals, flavors, and stories. This is where Amor Salsita lives and breathes in the fresh produce department."

The new guacamole carries a 10-day shelf-life and is now hitting shelves for shoppers across the region. Central to the launch is Gerrie's desire to serve an underrepresented shopper.

"We're a Hispanic family. Our roots run very deep. My grandma and my dad were from Mexico, and with them they brought true, authentic Mexican recipes," Gerrie shares. "We're taking all the care that we can to keep that integrity of those recipes—honoring my dad and my abuelita. They wouldn't want it any other way. There is an enormous area of growth for retailers to tap into with the Hispanic shopper. They are seeking premium quality recipes, products, and ingredients, and we seek to respond to those needs."

Gerrie's son, Ayden Ruiz, a founding team member who manages operations, points to a broader shift shaping the opportunity.

"It very much is a movement that has turned into a behavior," Ayden shares. "Our health is very strongly correlated to what we eat. We're becoming more aware of that, especially with GLP-1s being on the rise and eating trends changing rapidly. Families shop by label, by ingredients, and they are looking for the story behind the brand. It is not just about occupying the shelf, but all the ways you are communicating to the shopper on that shelf."

That conviction traces directly back to where Amor Salsita began—a kitchen, a pandemic, and a box of Hatch chiles. During COVID-19, Gerrie and her sister Erica were in the kitchen craving fish tacos when they pulled a long-forgotten 25-pound box of Hatch chiles from the freezer. What came out of the blender that afternoon—smoky, earthy, fire-roasted, made the way their abuelita always cooked, with a sprinkle of this and a dash of that—was something neither of them could exactly replicate the next day, because no measurement had been written down. Mason jars went home with Ayden, to neighbors, to colleagues. The company name itself came from Gerrie's father, who called everyone he loved amor—his term of endearment, now carried into every label.

Today, Amor Salsita offers eight salsas—five clean-label with no preservatives—alongside the new guacamole. The brand's signature Hatch Chile Salsa, the product that started it all, returns seasonally in late July through September at Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions, and Gelson's. In addition to the seasonal Hatch Chile Salsa, Gelson's also carries Amor Salsita's full line of fresh salsas.

The clearest proof of what this family has built came at their first farmer's market, where Gerrie and Erica made over 300 containers and sold every one. They recorded it on video and sent it to Gerrie's father in the hospital. It was one of the last things he saw before he passed away.

"My dad would be proud of where we started and the fact that we have remained true to our original vision to share our love through food," Gerrie reflected earlier this year, when Amor Salsita crossed 1 million units sold. "It was our gift to him and, today, it is a thank you from us for all the gifts he gave us."

With so much flavor, both in the recipe and in story, we are excited to see what Gerrie and her team do next.