Historic Laredo
An illustrated history of the city of Laredo and the Webb County area, paired with the histories of companies, families and organizations that make the region great.
An illustrated history of the city of Laredo and the Webb County area, paired with the histories of companies, families and organizations that make the region great.
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LA INDIA<br />
PACKING<br />
COMPANY,<br />
INC.<br />
✧<br />
Left: La India Packing Company<br />
founder Antonio Rodriguez and his<br />
wife Antonia.<br />
Below: Current La India owner and<br />
President Mrs. Lupita Rodriguez.<br />
Bottom: Youngest son, Ruben<br />
Rodriguez (deceased), displaying their<br />
Mexican chocolate.<br />
For 76 years life has been spicy for Antonio<br />
Rodriguez and his descendants. Don Antonio<br />
started his business by making and selling piruli,<br />
a Mexican candy. He and his wife, Antonia<br />
Villarreal Rodriguez, opened La India Packing<br />
Company, Inc. in 1923, selling sundries and<br />
Mexican chocolate from their small grocery<br />
located in a little house on Marcella Avenue.<br />
Don Antonio delivered his products via bicycle<br />
and Doña Antonia helped by grinding cacao<br />
by hand, from which he made his delicious hot<br />
chocolate drink, which is still very popular.<br />
Eventually Mexican spices were included in the<br />
inventory from which he creatively blended his<br />
famous chorizo and menudo mixes.<br />
“Later on my grandfather decided to sell only<br />
spices, seasonings and herbs,” said Elsa<br />
Sanchez, current La India general manager, secretary<br />
and treasurer. “By this time he had started<br />
to lose his sight and eventually became blind,<br />
but he never stopped working.”<br />
Upon Don Antonio’s death, the Rodriguez’<br />
children, Oscar, Maria Luisa, Hector, Romeo,<br />
Ruben and Hilda, inherited the business.<br />
In 1990, Lupita Rodriguez, widow of Ruben,<br />
purchased the business from her in-laws. Elsa<br />
has taken the business from completely manual<br />
to automated.<br />
The natural, quality products have filled a<br />
niche in this border city and beyond, enjoying<br />
popularity in Houston, Dallas, Austin, Fort<br />
Worth, the Rio Grande Valley and in Oklahoma.<br />
Elsa is planning to create distribution points in<br />
all areas of the U.S. with large pockets of<br />
Hispanic customers.<br />
The business now has 14 employees and has<br />
introduced new products to the expanding ethnic<br />
market, including Tejano seasoning, orange<br />
pepper and Pica Rico seasonings for fruits, vegetables,<br />
snacks and miscellaneous health products.<br />
A small on-site teahouse features teas, coffees<br />
and Don Antonio’s famous hot Mexican chocolate<br />
along with finger sandwiches and other tea<br />
time foods.<br />
La India Packing Company, Inc. is still located<br />
at 1520 Marcella Avenue, <strong>Laredo</strong>, Texas 78040;<br />
(956) 723-3772.<br />
Sharing the Heritage ✦ 101
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