In a sector, snacksBonilla a la Vista, dominated by large multinational corporations and their advertising campaigns, is an example worth studying in Business schools. The company was born more than ninety years ago in Galicia, where it is headquartered today; With a relatively modest staff, it has retained its family spirit and remains responsible for half a dozen of its own stores in A Coruña. some have more than half a century behind them.

Despite this profile, Bonilla a la Vista has achieved something that founder Salvador Bonilla probably would have considered not impossible but downright crazy when he created the brand in 1932: It has become a phenomenon in places as far away as Korea or the United States. There, across the pond, he fell in love with none other than Oprah Winfrey, one of the most recognizable faces on the planet.

Oprah’s potatoes. Oprah Winfrey needs no introduction. In fact, you don’t even need your last name. In addition to her success as a presenter, producer and businesswoman, as well as her $3 billion fortune and extensive philanthropic work, Oprah (in her first name only) has appeared on the magazine’s lists. Times with the most influential people on the planet.

So what you say has a tremendous impact. And a few days ago famous He admitted, more or less, that he felt a special preference for french fries made by a family business located thousands of miles from the United States, more specifically in the north of Galicia. Name: Bonilla a la Vista.

“They are worth it”. Oprah didn’t just praise the A Coruña producer’s potatoes. He also did this publicly, in a forum that had a certain effect and allowed you to purchase Bonilla a la Vista products directly. The company included them in its annual ‘Oprah’s Favorite Things’ list, which, as the name suggests, includes products particularly valued by the company. famous. These include clothing, accessories, games, household goods, electronics, make-up… as well as food and gourmet products.

This is where the American quotes snack Galician. And with enthusiasm. “Believe me, I know French fries. And from Galicia, Spain, these are worth the money. Fried in olive oil, they’re light and crispy. They’re delicious on their own, or spread on a baking sheet, as snack fans might guess, with gravy,” details Oprah’s list. gives; this listing also includes a link that allows you to purchase jars of the symbolic Galician fries on Amazon for $55.

There is another gourmet product linked to Spain in the ranking: Flor de la Jara Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

More than visibility. They announced it a few days before Bonilla a la Vista Country Found out two months ago that they had been chosen for Oprah’s list. Already fearing an increase in demand after the broadcast, they chose to strengthen their machinery: they increased the number of staff at Arteixo by 20% and increased their speed. They were not wrong.

The public response did not disappoint: within four hours all 4,000 bottles available on ABC’s ‘View your deal’ were sold. Moreover, most of this stock disappeared within minutes: Barely a quarter of an hour had passed when the first 1,500 were liquidated.

potatoes for $55. Although the units are launched at a special price, their rates are far from the prices applied in Spain. 275-gram cans sold for $27.50; That figure was half the $55 sold there without a discount, but almost double the 15.5 euros charged in Spain for the same format via the company’s website.

The company repeated its success on networks after Oprah’s support. They, too, recall that even though the 4,000-unit promotion had sold out, they continued to sell in the U.S. through Amazon or Despaña Brand Foods, with several stores in New York.

used to fame. It is not the first time that Bonilla a la Vista has achieved fame far beyond A Coruña, Galicia and even Spain. This happened a few years ago with the help of an equally extraordinary spectacle: the Oscars. South Korean Bong Joon-ho devoted several small roles to her in his film ‘Parasites’; So when the film won the Academy Award for best picture, one of its unexpected beneficiaries was – literally – the company headquartered in Arteixo.

It may seem strange that some fries produced in Galicia, at a business that claims to have “more than a hundred employees”, make it to South Korea, a far cry from the numbers managed by other major companies in the industry; but the truth is snack It has been continuing to expand into the international market for some time.

15% of the approximately 400 tons of potatoes it produces annually are exported abroad. The website states that 10% is reserved specifically for consumers in Asia, but the visibility it gets in the US thanks to Oprah may change that percentage.

“There are no secrets, there are illusions”. This phrase belongs to César Bonilla, the son of the brand’s founder, who died earlier this year. “There are no secrets, only enthusiasm, and the idea of ​​using the best raw materials never changes,” he claimed. The formula didn’t go badly. The company is headquartered in Arteixo, the city where Inditex put down its roots, and like the textile giant, it has experienced extraordinary expansion: its products can be purchased from as far away as Taiwan, Canada or Australia.

He arrived in South Korea in 2016 and his landing went far beyond all expectations. So much so that there were stores that had to limit the number of boxes each customer could purchase to avoid running out of stock. Now, after 90 years of history, Bonilla a la Vista is once again receiving a major award. This time in the American market and with the help of one of the most media and influential faces in the world.

Pictures | Walt Disney Television (Flickr) and Bonilla a la Vista

in Xataka | We are going out to eat less and less, and this has already thrown the king of the kitchen into a crisis. fast food: chips