KSHB 41 News reporter Lauren Schwentker covers stories in the Northland, including in Clay and Platte counties. Have a story idea? Send her an email.
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The famous La Tiara taco shells are back on store shelves and are now available nationwide after General Mills purchased the brand from Gladstone Food Products for $10 million.
Production of the beloved taco shells stopped in January 2025, leading to massive pent-up demand. Sales officially restarted Monday, prompting a launch party at the Gladstone Walmart.
Brett White, the General Mills president of meals and baking, attended the event.
"We've had people here since 6 a.m.," White said. "I love to see the people who have hoarded them for as long as they could, but even they ran out."
Northlander Doug Newton is one of many fans who stockpiled the shells in his basement after the closure.
"Man, I've been eating them since I was a kid," Newton said.
Newton said people tried to buy his hoarded stash.
"People offered 50 bucks, 100 bucks," Newton said. "They even offered to pay for shipping."
Newton is part of a Facebook group called "Please Bring Back La Tiara Taco Shells," which has over 22,000 members and helped play a role in the brand's return.
"There's some people on the group that are mad because people are grabbing boxes and boxes of them," Newton said.
I heard about this craze from locals at our Let's Talk event in Gladstone, where many told me they missed the shells terribly. Monday, La Tiara fans expressed excitement and relief.
"I was raised up on La Tiara, and I only feed my family La Tiara," one customer said.
"It's the only thing I came for," another shopper said.
"I've had sad droopy taco salad for years, and tomorrow night's dinner is going to be chef's kiss," one fan said.
The shells are now available in all Walmart stores nationwide. If shelves are already empty, a restock is coming soon.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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