Yoli Tortillería

a Westside KC maker of stone-ground heirloom-corn and Sonoran-style flour tortillas, founded in 2017 by husband-and-wife team Marissa and Mark Gencarelli. In 2023 Yoli won the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Bakery — the inaugural recognition in that category and, per local coverage, the first James Beard honor ever given to a tortilla bakery. The operation pairs a heritage-nixtamal mission with a wholesale arm, a Westside retail shop, and the Yoli Lonchería lunch counter.

Description

Yoli Tortillería is a Westside Kansas City maker of artisan tortillas built on traditional nixtamalization — corn cooked with food-grade lime, rinsed, then stone-ground on hand-carved volcanic stone into a fine masa.¹² The result is stone-ground heirloom-corn tortillas alongside Sonoran-style flour tortillas, totopos, salsas, tamales, and aguas frescas.² The name “Yoli” (pronounced yo-lee) derives from a Nahuatl/Aztec word meaning “to live,” reflecting the founders’ focus on quality, hand-crafted food.³

Founder Marissa Gencarelli grew up in Sonora, México, in a region of rich agricultural tradition; after relocating to Kansas City with her husband Mark, the couple founded the business in 2017 to fill what they saw as a void of authentic, scratch-made tortillas in the local market.¹⁴ The company first operated as a business-to-business wholesaler under the name KCMEX, then rebranded to Yoli as direct-to-consumer demand grew.³

Yoli supplies tortillas wholesale to roughly 100 Kansas City-area restaurants,⁴ ships nationwide via its website,¹ and operates a Westside retail shop at 1668 Jefferson St. selling tortillas, salsas, prepared foods, and dry goods.⁵ Its corn-focused, sustainability-minded sourcing has included research collaboration with the University of Missouri’s agricultural program on heirloom and hybrid maize, and a non-GMO/organic Midwest corn supply.² In 2023, Yoli was named to Zero Foodprint as part of its climate-conscious sourcing commitments.⁶

The Yoli Lonchería, a lunch counter co-located with the Westside retail shop, opened after the 2023 James Beard win drove demand and expansion. Its menu centers on masa-forward plates — tlacoyos and tetelas (filled, griddled masa pockets), burritos (chorizo, barbacoa), tortas, and soups — served alongside the retail offerings.⁷

Ownership and history

Year	Event
2017	Marissa and Mark Gencarelli found the business in Kansas City to make scratch, nixtamal-based tortillas; initially operates as a B2B wholesaler under the name KCMEX
2018–2019	Rebrand from KCMEX to Yoli Tortillería (with Carpenter Collective) as direct-to-consumer demand grows
2020	Yoli’s Westside retail shop opens at 1668 Jefferson St
2022	Named a James Beard Award semifinalist in the Outstanding Baker category — reported as the first tortilla bakery nominated in any James Beard category
2023	Named a James Beard finalist, then wins the inaugural James Beard Award for Outstanding Bakery
2023+	Yoli Lonchería lunch counter opens at the Westside location; products featured at the KC Current’s CPKC Stadium

Founders and roots

Marissa Gencarelli is the public face and creative lead of the business; her Sonoran upbringing is the explicit source of the brand’s recipes and mission.¹⁴ Mark Gencarelli is her husband and co-founder. The couple are Kansas City transplants rather than KC-born — Marissa is from Sonora, México — but they founded, built, and base the entire operation in Kansas City, embracing what Yoli’s own materials call “their Kansas City home.”¹ “ Mark Gencarelli’s specific background/origin is not confirmed in reviewed sources.

Menu

Last verified: 2026-07-14 · Source: Yoli official site (Westside / Lonchería + retail shop) · URL(s): https://www.eatyoli.com/westside · https://www.eatyoli.com/shop · Confidence: High (official menu)

Heritage-corn tortillería and bakery with a Westside retail shop and the Yoli Lonchería lunch counter (Tue–Fri 10am–4pm, Sat 8am–4pm), serving masa-forward burritos and plates alongside its stone-ground tortillas.⁸

Burritos

• Chorizo Breakfast Burrito — egg, caramelized onions, potatoes, Local Pig chorizo⁸
• Vegan Breakfast Burrito — scrambled tofu, chorizo-spiced mushrooms, crispy potatoes⁸
• Barbacoa Mini Burritos — spiced and braised Niman Ranch beef cheeks, Rancho Gordo beans⁸
• Rajas Burrito — roasted peppers, caramelized onions, Rancho Gordo beans, jasmine rice, tomato, carrot⁸
• Chicken Tinga Burrito — smoky braised chicken, Rancho Gordo beans, caramelized onions, salsa roja⁸
• Barbacoa Burrito — spiced and braised Niman Ranch beef, Rancho Gordo beans, caramelized onions, salsa roja⁸

Masa plates & sides

• Tlacoyos — filled, griddled masa pockets; chicken (Campo Lindo) or vegetarian (vegetables, Rancho Gordo beans, Chihuahua cheese)⁸
• Tetelas — triangular filled griddled masa pockets⁸
• Enchiladas⁸
• Tamales⁸
• Arroz Rojo⁸
• Refried Beans⁸
• Queso⁸
• Soup⁸

Bakery

• Coricos⁸
• Coyotas⁸
• Maizo Cookies⁸

Retail (tortillería)

• Heirloom-corn tortillas — stone-ground nixtamal⁸
• Sonoran-style flour tortillas⁸
• Totopos⁸
• Salsas⁸

Drinks

• Aguas frescas⁸
• Tepache⁸
• Kombucha⁸
• Mexican drinks (bottled)⁸

No prices are published on the Lonchería or retail pages; the menu rotates.⁸

Tier classification

Tier 1 — owner-operated KC maker with a national-acclaim craft and heritage case.

Per the tier doctrine, Tier 1 measures “pride + dedication to a business owner’s roots.” Yoli is not a KC-born-and-raised ownership story — Marissa Gencarelli is from Sonora, México, and the founders are KC transplants — so the strict born-and-raised criterion does not apply. Tier 1 is assigned here on the strong editorial/craft case:

• Owner-operated and independently, locally owned — no corporate parent; the founders run the business hands-on from the Westside.¹
• National acclaim rooted in heritage craft — the 2023 James Beard Award for Outstanding Bakery (the category’s first-ever winner, and per local coverage the first James Beard honor to a tortilla bakery) is among the highest distinctions a KC food maker has earned.⁹¹⁰
• Deep craft/heritage mission — traditional nixtamalization, stone-ground heirloom corn, and a recipe lineage drawn directly from Marissa’s Sonoran roots.¹²
• Civic embeddedness — wholesale to ~100 KC restaurants, a neighborhood Westside retail shop and Lonchería, and a presence at the KC Current’s CPKC Stadium.⁴¹¹

This combination — independent ownership, a heritage craft mission, and best-in-nation recognition anchored in the Westside — clears the Tier 1 editorial bar even though the born-and-raised path does not apply.

Operating status

Open / active. The Westside retail shop and Yoli Lonchería operate at 1668 Jefferson St; wholesale and nationwide shipping are ongoing.⁵⁷ (Manufacturing has been reported at a separate, non-public KC address — historically the East Bottoms / Bell St area; “ on the current production location.)

Links

• Website: https://www.eatyoli.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatyoli/
• Phone: (816) 842-9654 “ (seed-provided; not independently confirmed in reviewed sources)

See also

• mark-and-marissa-gencarelli — founders (Yoli Tortilleria)
• westside-kc
• Registry

Sources

• Status verified active 2026-06-23 via Yelp — Yoli Tortilleria, 1668 Jefferson St (updated June 2026) and official site eatyoli.com (accessed 2026-06-23). Westside retail shop + Lonchería at 1668 Jefferson St #100 confirmed operating. Note: Yelp lists phone (816) 708-1030, differing from the page’s seed-provided “ (816) 842-9654 — flagged to Strategist.

Footnotes

1. Yoli Tortillería — “Our Story.” https://www.eatyoli.com/ourstory. Source for: Marissa Gencarelli’s Sonora, México upbringing; Mark Gencarelli co-founder; founding to fill an authentic-tortilla void; stone-ground heirloom-corn mission; Westside retail address 1668 Jefferson St; “their Kansas City home.” ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

2. Bake Magazine — “Yoli Tortilleria receives stellar recognition for its traditions, ingenuity.” https://www.bakemag.com/articles/17607-yoli-tortilleria-receives-stellar-recognition-for-its-traditions-ingenuity. Source for: nixtamalization process; hand-carved volcanic-stone grinding; University of Missouri agricultural research collaboration; non-GMO/organic Midwest corn supply; product range. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

3. Carpenter Collective — “Yoli Tortilleria” (brand/rebrand case study). https://carpentercollective.com/project/yoli-tortilleria/. Source for: prior name KCMEX; B2B-to-DTC rebrand; “Yoli” = Aztec word for “to live.” ↩ ↩²

4. Feast Magazine — “Yoli Tortilleria Produces Fresh Tortillas From Scratch in Kansas City.” https://www.feastmagazine.com/travel/kansas-city/yoli-tortilleria-produces-fresh-tortillas-from-scratch-in-kansas-city/article_b96331c4-1741-11e8-bee7-07107d11f8e4.html. Source for: 2017 founding; wholesale to ~100 KC-area restaurants; founders’ KC relocation. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

5. Feast Magazine — “Yoli Tortilleria’s Retail Shop is Now Open in Kansas City’s Westside Neighborhood.” https://www.feastmagazine.com/travel/kansas-city/yoli-tortillerias-retail-shop-is-now-open-in-kansas-city-s-westside-neighborhood/article_16c16fcc-c774-11ea-9c9d-17ffe4a4e753.html. Source for: Westside retail shop opening (2020); 1668 Jefferson St; retail offerings. ↩ ↩²

6. Zero Foodprint — “Yoli Tortilleria Joins Zero Foodprint.” https://www.zerofoodprint.org/blog/yoli-tortilleria-joins-zero-foodprint. Source for: climate-conscious sourcing commitment. ↩

7. Yoli Tortillería — “Yoli Westside.” https://www.eatyoli.com/westside. Source for: Yoli Lonchería lunch counter; tlacoyos, tetelas, burritos, tortas, soups; retail + Lonchería co-location and hours. ↩ ↩²

8. Yoli Tortillería — official menu, https://www.eatyoli.com/westside (accessed 2026-07-14). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³ ↩²⁴ ↩²⁵ ↩²⁶ ↩²⁷

9. KCUR — “Yoli Tortilleria wins prestigious James Beard Award for ‘Outstanding Bakery.’” Published 2023-06-05. https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2023-06-05/yoli-tortilleria-wins-prestigious-james-beard-award-for-outstanding-bakery. Source for: 2023 Outstanding Bakery win; 2022 semifinalist; 2023 finalist; owners Marissa and Mark Gencarelli; Westside/Jefferson St + Bell St locations. ↩

10. KSHB 41 — “Yoli Tortilleria wins James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Bakery.” https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/yoli-tortilleria-wins-james-beard-foundation-award-for-outstanding-bakery. Corroborating source for: 2023 Outstanding Bakery win. ↩

11. KSHB 41 — “KC James Beard Award-winning tortilleria to be featured in Current’s CPKC Stadium.” https://www.kshb.com/sports/local-sports/kc-current/kc-james-beard-award-winning-tortilleria-to-be-featured-in-currents-cpkc-stadium. Source for: CPKC Stadium presence. ↩