The flagship store of "La Espiga", a chain of bakeries in Mexico City, has long stood at the busy intersection of Insurgentes and Baja California Avenues. Although I only went inside once, I have passed the enormous bakery countless times. It was a landmark in the Condesa neighborhood and loved by generations of residents.
Last month it was announced that the iconic Insurgentes Avenue branch of "La Espiga" would be closing on December 16th. The bakery chain was founded at this location in 1945 by Antonio Ordóñez Ríos. It was the first self-serve bakery in which customers would take a tray and pair of tongs and select the breads, rolls and pastries that they wanted. That is now the standard procedure in most Mexican bakeries.
No one knows exactly why the bakery closed. Some have speculated that building is going to be razed and a shopping center built in its place.
Yesterday I walked down Insurgentes. It seemed strange to look in the window and see the store empty, devoid of the racks of baked goods which once filled it.
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