By Karen Middleton
Most of the time when one hears that a business is closing, it’s bad news. But for local success story Mark White, times just keep getting better.
White will close Tortillas Blanco on Market Street Saturday after three years in that location because he says business is too good.
White said he wants to devote full time to producing, marketing and distributing his tortillas chips.
“We are now in 50-plus stores, restaurants and groceries in north and central Alabama,” said White.
White opened his tortilla factory at 1000 Frazier St. in October 2005 and soon began getting requests for takeout food.
“That’s where it all started, just making fresh tortillas,” he said. “We started selling food out of the factory and then we set up some picnic tables outside. Then we opened up the restaurant on Market Street.
“Southern Living did an article in May 2008 and interest just grew from there. We’re in concession stands locally and I’m getting a lot of high school business, parties and sending them out to family across the country. A lady was in yesterday and got some to send to Iraq.”
White said he has “to get out of the store” if he wants the burgeoning tortilla chip business to grow even more.
“I’m doing what’s in the best interest,” he said. “It’s providing jobs in the county and might even spread to cover the region and the country.”
White said he currently employs five workers and will evaluate whether to add more workers as business expands.
