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Homeboy Groceries

The growing number of ex-gang members and prisoners had quickly outnumbered the amount of available jobs at Homeboy Industries. According to Father Boyle, Homeboy Industries laid off approximately 330 employees in 2010, including senior staff and administrators. Homeboy Industries failed to generate its $5 million dollars needed to operate. In order to rehabilitate their finances, Homeboy Industries created "Homeboy Groceries" in January of 2011, consisting of foods such as chips, salsa, and guacamole.

Because of Homeboy’s new partnerships and job opportunities that Homeboy Grocery has provided, Homeboy Industries is continuing to operate.

The salsas are based on Homegirl Café's Chef Patricia “Pati” Zarate’s recipes, but actually are made by El Burrito Food Products Inc., based in the City of Industry. The chips, on the other hand, are made by Snak King, also based in City of Industry. Homeboy receives a part of the sales in an agreement with the manufacturers, the distributor and Ralph's, and all of the proceeds go to funding Homeboy services such as tattoo removal and counseling. Royalties from Homeboy Grocery sales exceeded $1.1 million annually. Most recently, on June 13, 2019, Homeboy Industries celebrated the introduction of Homeboy Salsa and Homeboy Guacamole in forty different Southern California Walmart stores. This celebration took place in the Compton chain, featuring Compton’s Mayor, Aja Brown, as well as Walmart’s Senior Director of Community Relations, Javier Angulo.

Homeboy Groceries goods are currently available in the DELI section at Ralph’s, Gelson’s, Walmart, and Stop & Shop.