If Vicent Riera were to see today what Can Tixedó has become, he would undoubtedly be proud of the work carried out by his successors. In 1943, this entrepreneur of the time decided to open one of those grocery stores where the locals could find practically everything. It is worth noting the importance of these shops, since the rural society of those times was not used to going down to Vila except in very specific and precise cases. Therefore, it was very important to be able to order and have at one's disposal everything one might need on a daily basis.
At the same time, the residents of Buscastell found Can Tixedó the perfect place to socialise. From buying or selling carobs to drinking a good glass of wine in company, at that time everything was possible at Can Tixedó.
Joan Colomar, the current manager of the business, recalls how the founder was his great-uncle, who was also his father's godfather. As he had no descendants, his father was sent with Riera to help in the grocery store. Once the founder retired, Colomar's parents took over the business until the current owner took over more than three decades ago.
Among his first decisions, Joan Colomar set up the well-known Can Tixedó art exhibitions. Eventually, he also decided to make a radical change to his gastronomic style. "At the beginning, all changes are a bit scary. When I started to hire waiters and more staff, people asked me where I was going and how I was going to pay them. The exhibition issue also caused surprise, although I was quickly supported by well-known people such as Kinoto and Antonio Hormigo", he points out.
The current manager knew the founder and remembers how he and his wife would come to Can Tixedó several times a week to see how things were going. "They would come with the 600 and eat with us. I would stay the night at their house in Sant Antoni and go fishing with him. He was quite a character," he says.
"There are many anecdotes. There are so many years and so many things because the bar has evolved and has gone from being the place in the village where the four elders used to meet to a place where foreigners started to come", recalls Colomar.
The well-known DJ Carl Cox and Jean-Pierre Rives, captain of the French rugby team, are among the regulars at Can Tixedó. Colomar has even become friends with some of them over the years.
As for the current situation, he says that his business is always trying to evolve, making a great effort since the pandemic to invest mainly in the kitchen "because we were very interested in improving the gastronomy".
After closing the grocery area several years ago, with the pandemic they decided to reopen it, albeit in a smaller space and specialising in local produce, as well as gourmet products.
On the occasion of its 80th anniversary, this legendary establishment celebrated this weekend in style with a commemorative event in Forada to celebrate its long history, with peasant dancing, music and a lot of fun and, above all, a toast to Can Tixedó's 80 years of life.
SOURCE: Diario de Ibiza
