Question

\el rey supermercado\ by james p larson
when ernesto and heriberto \beto\ villarreal opened super mercado el rey over 30 years ago, they had no idea how big the company would become.
\we envisioned nothing of this magnitude, nothing,\ said spokeswoman (and ernestos wife of over 40 years) olivia villarreal. \all we wanted was to fill a need for the hispanic population of milwaukee.\
according to the companys website, heriberto, the older brother by eight years, came to milwaukee by way of mexico in 1960 with their father, octavio. the rest of the family, including ernesto, followed four years later. both brothers worked at mercury marine while their father ran a small corner grocery store on south 3rd street. a few years later, ernesto and beto went into business together, opening the first el rey on s. cesar chavez dr. in 1978.
el reys bread and butter was, and still is, corn tortillas.

obody was making them,\ said villarreal. \wed have to go to chicago once a week, somebody would pack a truck up and bring them, and by the end of the week, theyd be hard... you have to make them daily.\
today, el rey has three thriving stores, with a fourth soon to open, as well as corn tortilla manufacturing facility on the citys south side, which wholesales tortillas to many milwaukee grocery stores as well as most of the areas mexican restaurants. in the 90s, el rey products were even introduced in germany, which went well until the germans started making their tortillas.
much of el reys success stems from its commitment to the community, which is manifest both in the products they offer and the ways they reinvest in those respective neighborhoods.

ecently we had a visitor from the east coast, and we took her to one of the el rey stores, and she was just amazed by the quality and the diversity of what they had in the stores,\ said luis \tony\ báez. \they ask, what do you need? and then they go out and get it.\
báez is the executive director of el centro hispano, a nonprofit organization that has served milwaukees hispanic community since 1964. he says el rey matches funds to the tune of $10,000 with the center during its annual christmas and thanksgiving food drives for the needy.
stop. reflect. respond. based on context clues what do you think magnitude means?
what need/gap did el rey fulfill in milwaukee?
what caused this gap?
what sets el rey apart from other grocery stores? write as a claim:
find a quotation to support your claim as evidence. underline your response.
why do you think el rey supports and invests money in the community?

Explanation:

1. For "magnitude": The context notes the founders didn't expect the small store to grow into a large multi-location business, so the word refers to great size/scale.
2. For the need/gap: The text states the store filled a need for the Hispanic population of Milwaukee, specifically access to fresh corn tortillas and relevant cultural products.
3. For the cause of the gap: Local suppliers were not making corn tortillas, forcing people to travel to Chicago to get them, leaving a lack of accessible, fresh Hispanic food options.
4. For the distinguishing claim: El Rey sets itself apart by centering the specific needs of Milwaukee's Hispanic community, offering tailored high-quality, diverse products and reinvesting locally.
5. For supporting evidence: The quoted text shows the store prioritizes community needs.
6. For community support: El Rey was founded to serve the local Hispanic community, so reinvesting maintains strong community ties, fosters loyalty, and honors its original mission as a community-focused business.

Answer:

1. Magnitude means large size or scale (the company's unexpected growth).
2. El Rey fulfilled the need for accessible, fresh Hispanic food products (specifically corn tortillas) for Milwaukee's Hispanic population.
3. This gap existed because no local suppliers were making corn tortillas, requiring people to travel to Chicago to obtain them, and there was a lack of stores catering to Hispanic cultural food needs.
4. Claim: El Rey distinguishes itself from other grocery stores by deeply centering the unique needs of Milwaukee's Hispanic community through tailored products and local reinvestment.
5. Supporting quotation: "They ask, 'What do you need?' and then they go out and get it."
6. El Rey supports and invests in the community because it was founded to serve Milwaukee's Hispanic population; this investment builds community loyalty, upholds its core mission, and maintains its connection to the community that helped it succeed.