Based in Secaucus, New Jersey, Goya Foods specializes in foods for the U.S. Latino population.
It was founded in 1936 by Prudencio Unanue, a Spanish businessman who moved to Puerto Rico before settling in New York.
Still headed by a Unanue family member, Goya is now one of the five hundred largest private companies, according to Forbes magazine.
Beans and rice are big sellers, but the product line includes everything from fruit nectars to frozen dinners.
The company aims to please all Latinos by paying attention to who prefers what. Cubans are more apt to buy long-grain rice, while Puerto Ricans want medium-grain rice.
Mexicans like pink beans, Cubans black beans. The company’s slogan is familiar to both Anglos and Latinos in many urban areas: “If it’s Goya, it has to be good.”
Shoppers can buy Goya beans from most supermarket shelves. The Goya company markets an enormous range of products designed to appeal to Hispanics of many different backgrounds.
