It was where many of Madrid’s residents used to have their daily coffee, as well as writers and artists such as Concha Velasco, Sabina or Joaquín Cortés. Now, the cafeteria Hontanares in Sevilla Street in Madrid, closes.
The emblematic establishment says goodbye after more than 74 years of service, with an emotional message hung on its door: “This beautiful adventure ends here“. Every day they served between 700 and 800 coffees, providing company and a good atmosphere to their clientele, which was usually made up of elderly people.
The two owner families have left their business behind by mutual agreement, although the premises at number 6 Seville Street will continue to be dedicated to the hotel and catering business. It will be taken over by a Spanish company with a long track record and prestige, as explained by the director of the cafeteria himself, Adolfo García Salmones, in his statements to El Periódico de España.
The essence of a neighborhood cafeteria
The Hontanares cafeteria was not known through social networks or the internet, but through the good talk of its customers. Many of them were regulars and the waiters knew their names and routines, creating a very familiar space.
For its director, the key was to have good employees and to be able to build friendships with those who came every day to eat or simply to have a coffee. “Thank you for having been part of our history,” are the words they dedicate to their public.
In this farewell, they remember how people filled the cafeteria with life as they passed through for breakfasts, afternoons, waiting with the newspaper or even first dates. It was also the scene of anecdotal moments such as the retransmission by several journalists of the 23-F coup d’état, as well as literary and cultural gatherings.
Following the family tradition
Its history began in the early 1970s, when Germán and Raúl García Salmones, father and uncle of its last director, returned to Madrid from Mexico and decided to start the business. From the very first moment, they wanted to base their seal on trust and fraternity, something they managed to maintain for more than 74 years of service.
In 2020, this same family had to close their cafeteria in Avenida de América, in the middle of the Covid-19 crisis. On this occasion, the end of Cafetería Hontanares on Sevilla Street is lived with much affection, gratitude and pride for its long history.
Its owners say goodbye to the red awnings, the marble bar and the coffees served to friends, knowing that a stage is over and that they will give way to new projects.