Gentrification in Tijuana ended the tradition of Spanish cuisine in the Madero neighborhood, better known as “La Cacho,” with the eviction of the 23-year-old Lorca restaurant. The tenants lost one of the two lawsuits they fought, but the Mexican-American owners failed to consider the local implications of their decisions.
The owners filed an eviction lawsuit two and a half years ago, demanding 300% more rent, or between six and eight thousand dollars a month. In their opinion, La Cacho was already “the Polanco of Tijuana” and, therefore, they deserved to receive more for their space.
“What can I see? That there probably won’t be another Lorca. I’m 70 years old, and the chef is 70. So, imagine starting over again; it’s difficult,” responded Gerardo Ávila, owner of the Lorca restaurant, regarding a possible future for his concept, created in 2002.
The owners of the property allegedly displayed hostile behavior toward the Ávila family, harassing them through letters from a law firm in Tijuana.
“We received a threatening letter—I have proof—asking us to vacate the space within 30 days to suit the owners. We felt a bit out of place because there are procedures, and we ignored them. Another letter arrived practically giving us hours, which we ignored as well. So we took legal action through the Civil Registry, where we would try to reach an agreement, because they wanted a 300% increase. A 300% increase for a company that suffered from insecurity, the pandemic, the American recessions, and a host of other daily threats from 2007 to 2008 is impossible to contain,” Ávila said.
After a couple of disagreements, they faced off in a civil lawsuit, unaware that a commercial lawsuit was brewing at the same time, which unilaterally ended the history of a kitchen known for its paella, oxtail, lamb, artisanal enfrijoladas, and Spanish omelette; recipes they began developing in 1975, when Gerardo and his wife studied hospitality in Granada, Spain.
“We thought we were going to have appointments with the judge where we would mediate, and then something happened, and unusual lawyers came this morning to evict us. They kicked out all the diners and started to move out. According to the attorney, this was done through an eviction procedure.”
