Ex Cine Garza (Former Garza Cinema)

The Garza (Crane) surname is one of the most representatives of the Northern Mexican city of Monterrey and its metropolitan area, the country’s second most-populated. This can be seen in the municipalities of San Nicolás de los Garza and San Pedro Garza García.

Many families originating in Monterrey, therefore, share the Garza name, and it was one of these that established Xicotepec’s first permanent cinema, the Cine Garza. Monterrey is the capital of the state of Nuevo León, so the seal of this state was prominently added to the facade of the theater. The cinema started its operations in the 1950s, while three decades later, in 1986, a restaurant called La Choza (The Hut) also opened in the town.

In the mid-2000s, after the Cine Garza lay abandoned for a few years, La Choza occupied the building, where it is still located as of early 2023. The cinema’s lobby is now the restaurant’s waiting area, all seating was removed to make way for the tables and chairs, leaving the stage where the screen was located as the main architectural heritage is still present in the restaurant.

The stage is still used for the occasional show as well as events such as book presentations. For the most part, however, it is merely a decorated feature that diners can enjoy while tasting some of the local Xicotepense delicacies served here.