Baker or soccer player? The decision Antonio Ordoñez made to create La Espiga 70 years ago

The famous Insurgentes bakery, in Mexico City, La Espiga will close its doors in a few days, on December 16after more than 70 years to open its doors and revolutionize the sales model.

This place that you are in Avenida Insurgentes Sur 455, in the Hipódromo Condesa neighborhood and near the Chilpancingo metro, recently announced that it will close permanently, which was announced through a message pasted on the windows of the place, although it was not specified on the reason for the closure.

“To our clients and friends, we inform you that the day December 16 We are definitely closing this bakery, infinitely thanking you for your preference for so many years”.

The place is characteristic for its sweet bread, bolillo, telera, baguettes and rosca de reyes, there are even long lines to buy them.

Foundation

The Spike was founded by Antonio Ordonez Rios in the 40s, a Mexican of Spanish parents and who implemented the self-service model, so characteristic of bakeries.

In 1945 Ordoñez revolutionized the bakery model with self-services, that is, that customers could take a chola and choose their own bread, providing a better experience and consequently increasing business sales.

The model was so successful that the company opened other branches (which will remain open), such as Tlalnepantla, Centro, Progreso, Cuautitlán, La Roma, Parque Lira and other bakeries. They copied the model.

The decision that changed his life: baker or soccer player?

Antonio Ordoñez Ríos was born on September 4, 1919 in Mexico; however, his studies were carried out in Spain; However, when the Civil War broke out, he traveled to France, New York and embarked on a freighter to Yucatán, until he reached Veracruz, where he met his father.

According to the bakery website, Ordoñez had to decide if his future was be a baker or a footballersince he played in the first division of the Mexican soccer team “Asturias”.

“But the bakery was his trade, his business, his life, working very hard from dawn to night.”

Ordoñez was also one of the founders of the Chamber of Bakers of Mexico (Canainpa), at that time the entrepreneur was 26 years old. He also created the Training Center for the Mexican bakery that bears his name.

The Mexican died at 100 years and until he was 99 years old he kept going to his bakery. According to the pandemic, he always asked to “keep going and with more energy.”