Vallarta Supermarkets Aims to Inspire Latina Entrepreneurs

Vallarta Supermarkets of Sylmar, Calif., one of the largest Latino grocers in California, has welcomed Ellen Marie Bennett, the founder and CEO of culinary workwear brand Hedley & Bennett and the author of "Dream First, Details Later: How to Quit Overthinking & Make It Happen!" to its Vallarta Influencer & Partner (VIP) Program.

With the goal of helping to inspire Latinas to own their independence as future entrepreneurs and leaders, Vallarta will donate 200 of Bennett’s books to two Latina nonprofit organizations, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) and the National Latina Business Women Association (NLBWA) Los Angeles. The book chronicles Bennett’s journey from a line cook to owner of Los Angeles-based Hedley & Bennett, a multimillion-dollar apron and kitchen gear brand.

“Vallarta is pleased to welcome Ellen to our VIP Program and share her dynamic entrepreneurial spirit and personal drive with women who have or are considering launching their own business,” said Andrew Lewis, Vallarta Supermarkets VP of marketing, in a news release. “Ellen is already a fan of Vallarta, and she’ll be sharing exclusive recipes with our Vallarta shoppers.”

Bennett, who attended culinary school in Mexico City, put her training to work in Los Angeles, cooking in two Michelin-starred restaurants, Providence and Baco Mercat. It was during this time working on the line that she saw an opportunity to create a chef's "uniform" that was more aligned with the creativity and confidence found in the kitchen. This led to the vision for Hedley & Bennett—to make aprons that marry the needs of professional chefs with design trends.

Today, Hedley & Bennett makes culinary workwear and gear that outfits more than 6,000 restaurants, hotels, coffee shops and resorts as well as hundreds of thousands of home cooks all over the world.

Founded in 1985, Vallarta Supermarkets is a full-service independent grocery chain with 52 locations throughout California.