After 128 years in operation, the veteran coffeehouse shut its doors on Monday, much to many Madrileños chagrin
The owners, Isabel Contreras and her cousin Maribel Seracató, said they no longer wanted to keep running the business. Above, movers take away some of the furnishings.Samuel Sánchez“It was a place of inspiration and concentration. It was like being on an island where you heard the clink of the coffee spoons,” says Emiliano de Lucas, a customer who wrote several poems inside Café Comercial over the last 30 years.Samuel SánchezA woman leaves a message on a piece of paper that says: “Little by little, we are being left with an impersonal, tacky city.”Samuel SánchezWaiters dressed in classic uniform were a hallmark of Café Comercial.Uly MartínA plaque on the building façade commemorating the history of Café Comercial.Alvaro GarcíaThe news that Café Comercial was shutting down caught patrons by surprise.Kike ParaIn the “good years” there were up to 34 waiters, but the staff had been reduced to 19 in recent times.Samuel SánchezThe establishment is located on Glorieta de Bilbao, a bustling area in downtown Madrid.Kike ParaA “Going out of business” sign on the door and a Facebook message informed customers that Café Comercial would no longer open its doors.Alvaro GarcíaCafé Comercial had recently adopted an initiative to sponsor coffees and sandwiches for people who could not afford them.Kike ParaFormer Mayor Enrique Tierno Galván having breakfast at Café Comercial on August 11, 1983.Luis Gabriel
