PCC Community Markets, the nation’s largest community-owned food co-op, launched Alberto’s Churros premium retail line across all 16 stores this week, marking a collaboration between the Seattle-based co-op and the local, minority-owned producer. The launch coincides with a partnership with Specialty Frozen Food Distributors that will bring Alberto’s Churros to retailers in Western Washington.
Alberto’s developed a new 12-pack retail formulation featuring sunflower oil, unbleached flour and cane sugar, maintaining their signature plant-based recipe while elevating ingredient quality to meet PCC’s standards. The company has served the Pacific Northwest foodservice industry for nearly four decades, supplying all 79 Taco Time Northwest locations, Seattle icons like Copacabana at Pike Place Market and more than 50 restaurants regionwide.
Ingredient standards drive reformulation
“We’re inspired by manufacturers who want to realize their greatest potential by rethinking their ingredient approach,” said Frank Schuck, grocery merchandiser at PCC Community Markets.
“When local makers like Alberto’s choose to elevate their brand through higher-quality sustainable ingredients, it creates a ripple effect: better products for our members, stronger support for family businesses, and proof that premium quality and accessibility can go hand in hand.”
Steven Ramirez-Araujo, second-generation owner of Alberto’s Churros, said PCC’s merchandising team provided guidance on ingredient sourcing. His parents Alberto and Elsa Araujo founded the business in Seattle’s University District in 1987.
“PCC challenged us to think deeper about our ingredient sourcing without compromising the authentic churro experience our family has been perfecting for 38 years,” Ramirez-Araujo said. “Their mentorship gave us the confidence and insight to level up our retail offering by making small tweaks that resulted in defining the direction we want to build for our brand.”
Regional expansion through distribution partnership
Alberto’s Churros will soon appear in frozen dessert sections at Harbor Greens, H&L Produce, Leschi Market, Hilltop Red Apple, West Seattle Thriftway, Central Co-op Seattle and Town & Country through the Specialty Frozen Food Distributors partnership.
“Specialty Frozen is a family owned business taking great care of their relationships with manufacturers and retailers alike. They have extensive reach in the Western Washington community, and their business model is the perfect match for our needs,” Ramirez-Araujo said. “This partnership allows us to bring restaurant-quality churros with premium ingredients to neighborhood stores throughout the region.”
The PCC launch follows Alberto’s 2025 fall retail debut at Rosauers Supermarkets, which originated from what was initially a foodservice meeting. The retail expansion garnered coverage in Bake Magazine, Puget Sound Business Journal and Seattle Met.
Founded in 1953, PCC Community Markets operates 16 stores across the Puget Sound region with 118,000-plus member-owners. The co-op carries products from more than 700 local producers and has pioneered Northwest farmland preservation through the PCC Farmland Trust and partnerships with organizations including United Indians of All Tribes Foundation.
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