Since he assumed ownership, the company has climbed the Top 10 list. Rivas Jr. says it was his team, new offerings, and better logistics that helped the brand reach the top.
The idea for the plantain chip company was born in 1963, when Ecuadorian geophysicist Segundo Argudo and his wife Peggy were fascinated by the fried plantain crisps, called chifles in Spanish, sold by street vendors in their home country and Cuba.
The couple, who jumped around Central and South America for Argudo's career, later settled in Tampa and opened a plantain chip factory. They hired Tony Rivas Sr., who was a distributor for the company for more than 40 years. Tony's son, Rivas Jr., joined the company in 2010.
After Argudo passed away in 2000, Peggy took the reins and ran the brand until 2017.
When she had to step aside around the age of 95, she knew Rivas Sr., now vice president, would be the perfect fit and sold the company to the Rivas family.
On Veterans Day 2017, the Tampa factory caught fire. The blaze destroyed almost everything. Waiting to catch a flight at a South Carolina airport, Rivas Jr. was working on a vision statement for the company when he got the call from his father.
Rivas Jr. says for a moment the family was at a loss.
His wife Frances tucked a note into one of his shoes — a customized pair of Nikes with the Chifles logo stitched on the side. Her words reminded him of what he says is the true meaning of Chifles: the family, the legacy, the heritage — everything that made the company who it was today. Those were the same words that inspired the company's manifesto.
"She told me: 'You see that brand, that logo? That's everybody's heart.' It's hard to see it when you're in the trenches like that," Rivas Jr. says. It was time to come home to Miami, the family decided.
“We didn’t want the fire to happen, but it made us see how fragile life is, and we used that to keep on going,” Rivas Jr. says
The Rivas family moved operations to a temporary factory in Hialeah and planned to reinvent the company.
Chifles' mission is to introduce its snacks to new consumers. “We wanted to push the legacy, and the heritage, while pushing forward in the plantain category,” Rivas Jr. says. “We want to push this category to the masses.”
The plantain chips, found in most grocery and convenience stores, cost $1.79 to $7.99 per bag.
Two years after the Veterans Day fire, Chifles makes the number one plantain chip in the nation. The company plans to move into its permanent Miami home in early January. To celebrate, five Miami restaurants will offer limited-time Chifles-inspired entrées this weekend. Finka Table & Tap, Phuc Yea, Latin House Grill, La Camaronera, and Cracked by Chef Adrianne will serve original dishes including the company's latest product: plantain sticks.
Dishes include coconut water-braised chicharrón at Phuc Yea, a grilled mahi-mahi sandwich at Cracked, a muffin-top burger at Latin House Grill, and a frita at Finka. The restaurants will offer the dishes today, November 8, through Sunday, November 17.
]]>Mariquitas, platanitos, tajadas, and chifles are all different ways of saying plantain chips. The popular crunchy food can be paired as a side dish, mixed into a sandwich, or eaten straight out of the bag as a snack.
In South Florida, you can find these chips almost anywhere, but according to the owner of Miami-based snack company Chifles, not all plantain chips are created equal. Tony Rivas Jr. believes his product stands out among the rest, and a recent analysis by market-research firm IRI Worldwide shows consumers agree.
The data analysis, based on earnings, ranked Chifles number one in the nation against its competitors.
"It’s a point of pride to be ranked the number 1 plantain chip in the country," Rivas Jr. said. "For us it’s more than just being ranked number 1. It is all the hard work and effort and the legacy behind this brand."
Inspired by vendors who sold plantain chips on the streets of Havana, Cuba, Segundo and Peggy Argudo founded Chifles in Tampa in 1963.
Shortly after arriving from Cuba, Tony Rivas Sr. began distributing Chifles with Borges Distributors. Rivas Jr. followed in his dad’s footsteps and after a long relationship with the original founders of Chifles, the Argudo’s sold the plantain chip company to the Rivas family in 2017.
Just four months after the company changed hands, tragedy struck and they lost nearly everything in an accidental fire. They rallied together to rebuild in Miami, FL after this devastating loss and rebranded while also staying true to the original product.
"I think the future is bright. What I want Chifles to be known for today is continuing to push the envelope when it comes to snacking and specifically in plantains. We want to show the versatility of the product so it’s not only mami and papi and abuela eating it, but that next generation seeing we can do different things with it and we can use it in different dishes,” said Rivas Jr.
Since the Rivas family acquired the company, Chifles has added numerous products to their lineup. The most recent addition are the plantain sticks, similar to potato sticks, that can be put inside a frita, a hamburger, or a hot dog for that extra flavor and crunch.
"I think that crunch, that saltiness, that savory with that hint of sweet, it just goes well with everything," said Rivas.
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(Miami, FL –– September 26, 2019) –– Chifles, one of the first Hispanic snacks in the United States and a Miami mainstay, has taken over as the number one plantain chip in America as reported by IRi Worldwide, the esteemed leader in Big Data analytics for consumer packaged goods. Crushing all comers, including nationally ranked volume leaders in the plantain category, the South Florida snack brand continues its iconic representation of Latin flavor for consumers across the globe.
The Chifles brand has been a tastemaker in snacking for more than half a century, offering a family story in every bag.
“As we celebrate our 55th year, we are honored to experience this crowning moment for Chifles, especially considering our humble beginnings. This brand has helped build a future for many families, including our own” said Chifles owner, Antonio Rivas Jr. “Through the recipe and legacy of Chifles, we have been able to deliver the taste of our culture for decades. It’s uniquely Latin, and uniquely Miami. We are committed to carrying that recipe and legacy on for the next 55 years and beyond.”
A Compelling Chapter
When the Rivas family took ownership of Chifles in 2017, it marked a compelling new chapter in the brand’s long history. Before their unprecedented success, the Rivas family worked as distributors alongside the original owners. Shortly after the Rivas family acquired the brand, tragedy struck as a factory fire threatened the very existence of the brand. As a smaller organization with fewer resources than many of its competitors, the fire could have spelled doom for Chifles.
However, father and son duo Antonio and Antonio Rivas Jr. set about preserving the legacy and recipe. Their long hours and dogged work helped save a brand and flavor that, just 2 years later, is recognized as best-in-class.
About Chifles
The better-for-you snack is 100% vegan, gluten-free, cholesterol free, grain-free and certified Kosher. The brand currently offers Cassava chips to complement their roster of plantain chip varieties. Chifles is a national fan-favorite and the brand is continuing to innovate how we snack, as they develop new products and open the brand to new markets.
In Q4, Chifles is planning to roll out variations to their flagship Tostones, with three invigorating flavors: Garlic (Ajo), Lime (Limón), and Sweet Tostones.
Plantain Chip Line:
Original Flavor
No Salt Plantain Chips
Lime (Limón) Plantain Chips
Garlic (Ajo) Plantain Chips
Hot & Spicy Plantain Chips
Sweet Plantain (Maduros) Chips
Plantain Strips
Tostones Original Flavor
To learn more about the history of Chifles please visit: www.chifleschips.com.
For Media Inquiries, please contact: press@chifleschips.com