A Sneak Peek Through the Keyhole: Thiviers’ Beloved Café Reopens Soon
“A little peephole, a lot of curiosity – Thiviers’ beloved café is almost back in business.
There’s something about new businesses in our towns and neighbourhoods that always grabs attention, openings and reopenings that spark more than a little curiosity. Shops, cafés, and bars that bring streets to life offer a glimmer of hope… or at least, in this case, a tiny peek through a keyhole.
Take the bakery and café in Xàbia’s Thiviers neighbourhood. Closed since February after Teresa and Rafael ran it for 33 years, from 1992 until their well-earned retirement, it’s now under new ownership. And the excitement is palpable. Neighbours read the sign outside, which cheekily says: “Alerta! Spoiler: Te dejamos mirar pero solo un poquito” (“Warning! Spoiler: You can have a little peek, but just a little”), and press their eye to the little peephole. They peek. They inspect. Everyone wants to know what the refurbished café will look like. They’ve missed it. After all, cafés and bakeries are the heartbeat of a neighbourhood.
The new owners probably felt a bit overwhelmed by all the curiosity. Renovation delays, unexpected problems – anyone who’s done a project in Xàbia knows that starting construction is like diving into a pool without checking the water first. But now, reopening seems just around the corner. The neighbourhood is ready for its familiar smells of bread and coffee again. Sure, there are bars, but a classic café is something else entirely.
The café first opened in 1989 under the sweetly enticing name Blat i Sucre. Days before closing, Teresa left a heartfelt note on the window: “With many memories, we close a beautiful chapter of our lives…” Today, the note is gone, replaced by a small peephole that invites passersby to sneak a look. No fancy marketing strategy needed. Curiosity does the work. Anyone walking past the sign peeks inside. It never fails.
Neighbourhood businesses like these are always in the spotlight, and in Thiviers, all eyes are on this little bakery-café as it prepares to reopen.
Adapted from an original article published in Levante EMV: Todo el barrio se asoma por la mirilla en Xàbia
