Yoli Tortilleria wins prestigious James Beard Award for 'Outstanding Bakery'

The Westside tortilla bakery beat out two bakeshops in North Texas, an Italian bakery in New Orleans and a Miami bread maker.
Yoli Tortilleria, a Mexican tortilla bakery with a retail store on Jefferson Street on Kansas City’s Westside and a manufacturing location on Bell Street, won the 2023 James Beard Award for Outstanding Bakery — one of the most prestigious honors in the American food industry.

Owner Marissa Gencarelli said in her acceptance speech that the tortilleria opened when she was still grieving the loss of her parents.

"Baking became our therapy, a way to connect and honor my ancestors in the middle of North America," she said. "Thank you for the opportunity, and thank you for helping us honor the very humble tortilla."