Established in 1946 by Federico and Bertha Claveria, La Tolteca Tortilla Factory derived its name from the Aztec term "metropolis." This factory was the third of seven establishments bearing the same name, with the other six owned by Claveria's relatives and a close friend, spread across regions from Southern California to Phoenix, Arizona. Through tireless 12-hour shifts, Freddie and Bertha eventually expanded to open another restaurant in Santa Barbara. By the 1980s, La Tolteca had emerged as a prominent business in Santa Barbara County, employing around 40 full-time staff who produced a remarkable 720,000 tortillas weekly. The Claveria family business was honored with multiple accreditations, including the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce Recognition Award. Claveria himself is credited with pioneering the initial significant automated tortilla-making process.

Visual remnants of the Factory’s history can be observed throughout the property, including iron tortillas topping the posts of the entrance gate made by David Shelton, brother of the famous Santa Barbara architect, Jeff Shelton.