181. Made in San Antonio: Oscar Perez on Building Tio Pelon’s Salsitas From Scratch

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we explore the unlikely journey of Tio Pelon’s Salsita, a San Antonio-made salsa brand found across Texas grocery shelves—and the story of the entrepreneur behind it. Bob sits down with Oscar Perez, architect-turned-founder of Tio Pelon, to examine how a borderlands upbringing, a family recipe, and a series of calculated risks transformed a backyard experiment into a recognizable name in local stores.Bob and Oscar discuss:• The personal, cultural, and economic factors that shaped Tio Pelon’s origins• Navigating the legal, regulatory, and logistical hurdles of building a food business in Texas• The realities behind scaling from farmers markets to H-E-B and beyond• What automation, capital, and community support look like for a small-batch producer• The broader impact of San Antonio’s food entrepreneurs on the city’s identityThe conversation provides a window into the challenges, pivots, and opportunities facing San Antonio’s small business community, and offers perspective on what it means to build something authentic—and sustainable—in one of the nation’s most vibrant culinary cities.RECOMMENDED NEXT LISTEN:▶️ #129. Inside Launch SA — San Antonio’s One-Stop Resource for Small Business – For anyone inspired by the entrepreneurial journey of Tío Pelón’s Salsita, this episode dives into Launch SA, the city’s resource hub for small businesses. Guest host Cory Ames and director Matthew Espinoza unpack the support systems, challenges, and evolving landscape facing San Antonio’s founders and makers.-- --GET THE NEWSLETTER📰 If you enjoyed this conversation, sign up for Bob Rivard's Midweek — sharp takes on San Antonio's politics, culture, and civic life, delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Independent, nonpartisan, and free to read.Subscribe here.-- --CONNECT📸 Connect on Instagram🔗 Join us on LinkedIn🎥 Subscribe on YouTubeSPONSORS🙌 Support the show & see our sponsorsTHANK YOU⭐ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⭐ Rate us on Spotify