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File image of a tourist photographing the tile display before the popular establishment closed its doors. Ñito Salas
What has happened to the famous wall tile plaque of Café Central in Malaga city?
History

What has happened to the famous wall tile plaque of Café Central in Malaga city?

Until the popular establishment in Plaza de la Constitución closed its doors, the widely photographed display showed customers how to order coffee

Juan Soto

Malaga

Friday, 17 January 2025, 11:47

The tiles showing the different ways of ordering coffee in Malaga was one of the main attractions in Café Central. The images of the cortado, solo, medio or largo attracted dozens of curious onlookers to the bar to take photographs of the plaque. The work created by the ceramist Ruiz de Luna is part of the idiosyncrasy of the people of Malaga, but since the bar closed three years ago it has still not found its place in the city.

The Café Central in Plaza de la Constitución closed its doors in January 2022 and since then it has not been possible to find a space to display the tile so that it can be seen by locals and visitors, as the owner wished.

Businessowner Rafael Prados said that he had offered it to the city council to put it to good use, but that three years later it is still safely stored in his house. "What I want is for it to be exhibited in the city because it has been around the world and forms part of the city's history."

At first it was announced that it was going to be placed on the façade of the Peña Juan Breva, in Calle Ramón Franquelo, but that initiative failed because it was finally decided to place a replica, and they did not even notify Rafael about its inauguration.

The businessowner Rafael Prados has offered it to the city council to be placed in a museum

The business owner's wish has always been that the work be placed somewhere significant in the city, preferably in a museum. He explained that several years ago, just before the last municipal elections, a document was even drawn up for its transfer, but this was also postponed due to the proximity of the elections and to avoid anyone thinking that it was a self-serving act.

But time has passed, the councillors have changed and nobody has picked up the phone again to take an interest in the famous plaque. That is why, somewhat tired of waiting, Prados announced that he has received an offer from a "very important" company, but that he does not want to part with the work for money. "What I want is for it to be shared and enjoyed, for its story to be known, and not to make money."

He considers that its ideal location would be the Malaga museum or the museum of popular arts and customs. "That work has travelled around the world and I want it to stay that way, forming part of the Malaga lexicon." If it were placed in a museum, he believes "it could continue to form part of the city's collective history".

In his opinion, the council should understand that preserving these elements, like the bust of Chiquito de la Calzada that the restaurant Chinitas has just offered it, or any historical element of a business that closes, "is also part of the history of Malaga". "There is an important loss of value when a business closes and the authorities should safeguard all those tangible values," he adds.

Café Central was one of the most famous businesses in the historic centre. After its closure, the premises were taken over by the Swedish pub John Scott's, owned by the Kopparberg group.

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