José Manuel has been running a birria stall for the last 28 years in the corner of Colima and Orizaba at Roma Norte. His great charisma granted him an army of loyal clients, he has witnessed their evolution from party animals who needed birria to cure a hangover to family men now eating birria with their children. Every day he commutes 2 hours to get to his stall, a common thing in this city where it’s impossible to afford a rent near your workplace. José Manuel has had a hard time during this pandemic, from July to December he barely made 40% of his usual income, not enough to live, just to survive. Now with the last lockdown his business faces an imminent bankruptcy. “I’m smart you know?, I saved money but this (pandemic) has lasted too long”. Last September his son got 2 gunshots while he was working at a hamburger stall, this has been not only an economic burden for him but also the source of infinite sadness and anguish. “My life is a mess, he says, I support to many children and people, but what I’m gonna do? Such is life.” Jose Manuel’s dream was not this, he learned to make birria by chance while working a temporary job, what he really wanted was to be a lawyer. But one of the good ones, an honest lawyer who cared about people and actually helped them. “If you are a good person you’ll be more successful because people will spread the word, everybody needs a good lawyer.” Sadly not all dreams come true, even the ones that intended to make the world better. He couldn’t be a lawyer but he became an improvised therapist by listening to the stories from the few clients the pandemic left. You come here for birria and to talk about life, Food for the soul and for the body. At this jungle that we like to call home, where an expensive bakery shares the street with a tiny birria stall, we are all living this pandemic at the same time, but each person and business faces completely different struggles. #coviddiaries #mexicocity #streetfood
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