Bygone places CDMX / California, an inexhaustible buffet for less than 100 pesos.
Starting from its beginnings in 1982, California experienced brutal growth, expanding to 71 restaurants. With the same speed it grew, it disappeared in 2015.
By Alejandro Pohlenz
More nostalgia. I've referred to my childhood and adolescence in Las Arboledas, a subdivision located in the northern suburbs of what was then the Federal District. At the entrance emerged another (a bit more austere) called Valle Dorado and a Comercial Mexicana (in my healthy youth, we used to play billiards in one of its premises). Right there, the first California restaurant emerged in 1982.
It clearly emulated Vips (which has existed since I can remember): the very American decor, the family atmosphere, and relatively fast service. What propelled California, five years later, was the buffet.
The Chain's Unbridled Growth
I was enormously surprised to learn that, starting in 1994, with the launch of the "super buffet" concept, California was able to open 9 restaurants a year!, all across Mexico: Puebla, Morelos, Michoacán, Veracruz, Acapulco, and Tijuana. It reached an impressive figure of 50 outlets of that brand throughout the republic.
As if that weren't enough, the company bought the Beer Factory chain (I even went to their Cuicuilco branch: I didn't like the beer they brewed themselves at all; the food was okay). With that purchase, they reached their peak: the group owned 71 restaurants.
It disappeared in 2015. Sadly, some of the branches were even abandoned. In that year, Grupo Gigante bought 46 Californias, the Beer Factory outlets, and the Toks restaurants from Comercial Mexicana.
How Much Did the Buffet Cost?
For many years, the buffet cost less than 100 pesos, which was a steal even by today's standards. In 2013, they raised it to 350. You could eat all you wanted, and they refilled your drink as many times as you wished.
On Wednesdays, there were 2-for-1 offers for the buffet. So you could roll out of there for just 175 pesos. No wonder they went bankrupt, right?
Permanently Disappeared
Address: (First Branch) Comercial Mexicana de Valle Dorado, Tlalnepantla, Edo. de Méx.
