Two months ago, the almost century-old Galician company ‘Bonilla a la vista’ received a call from its representative in the United States announcing that the presenter Oprah Winfrey, considered one of the most powerful people in the world, was going to include her famous can of chips in ‘Oprah’s Favorite Things’the annual list he prepares with his favorite products so that his thousands of fans in the United States can try them.
A marketing action for which the presenter does not charge a dime and has been publishing since 1990 and which covers everything from technology to fashion and food. «It would be unquantifiable in terms of return for the company. Just like it happened when our can appeared in the Oscar-winning film ‘Parasites’», they say from the factory in Arteixo. Oprah knows the product well since she usually buys it at Despana, a store in lower Manhattan in New York, a store and bar where you can taste and buy the best Spanish products. That is why when he announced it on November 11 on his program ‘View your deal’ that is broadcast on ABC, Arteixo’s small company had already activated the machinery to be able to face the expected demand. And so it was in a matter of an hour they managed to sell more than 4,000 units.
«Knowing this in advance gave us time to hire more staff and even activate the product on Amazon USA to be able to meet the demand. This is a completely handmade product that needs a lot of supervision throughout the entire process,” the Galician company explains to this newspaper. Until now they have only sold in New York since 2017 but after Oprah’s recommendation, the United States has placed itself in first place in terms of exporting country above Korea since its sales have multiplied by 400 percent. «Believe me, I know French fries. AND These, from Galicia, in Spain, are worth it. They are fried in olive oil to obtain light and crispy chips. They are delicious alone or, as snack fans may assume, just as delicious with a sauce. They will thank you for pampering them,” said the presenter on her program while eating one.
‘Bonilla a la vista’ landed in South Korea in April 2016 after reaching an agreement with a Korean investment group that visited the factory in Arteixo in search of a quality appetizer. They decided to export only in 150 and 500 gram can formats. The acceptance was such that they had to send containers and containers to meet the demand. Even They had to prohibit the purchase of more than two cans per person. In a short time it has become the fourth most important non-Korean snack. What they did not imagine is that, among their select clientele, it must be taken into account that the sale price there ranges between 50 and 60 euros, was Bong Joon-ho, director of the Oscar-winning film ‘Parasites’ who decided to take out the famous can in some scenes in the kitchen of the rich family in the film, since there they are a symbol of social status.
Scene from the movie ‘Parasites’ where the Bonilla potatoes appeared
“We didn’t find out until we saw the film in the cinema and it also represented a great global boost and opened the doors for us in many countries,” they explain from Bonilla a la vista. This business adventure began in 1932 in Ferrol, where Salvador Bonilla and his wife opened the first churrería. Today, 92 years later, Fernando Bonilla, grandson of the founder, runs the family business, after the death of his father César Bonilla, earlier this year. . Its Arteixo factory is more humble than Amancio Ortega’sbut no less important and has managed to conquer the world. Right now it employs more than a hundred Galicians, some of whom have been in the family business for more than 25 years, which distributes more than 400 tons of French fries a year. Now they celebrate their success thanks to Oprah’s recommendation to whom they assure “we have not been able to thank her personally, obviously she is not very accessible, but yes We wanted to send you a message through our distributor and we hope that it has reached you.
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