The purveyor of 100-roll toilet paper packages and 55-gallon barrels of genuine Italian olive oil could not let expatriate consumers slip through its corporate fingers merely because they moved to a little fishing village on the Pacific coast of Mexico. You can bet your bottom peso that fate would heal everything.
For several months now a large building with some rather snazzy architecture has been under construction. A block off of the main square in San Patricio. Right behind the Oxxo -- the very symbol of upwardly-mobile Middle Class Mexico. That should have been a clue.
Mystery surrounded the building's existence. It looked like a giant two-story warehouse from the outside. Just lots of empty space. In the middle of a retail district. Who would build a large warehouse surrounded by retailers?
Then a sign went up on the large empty lot next door that usually houses the carnival when it comes to town. All of a sudden, it was a large parking lot, instead.
The answer is obvious, isn't it? Costco is coming to Melaque.
Or maybe not.
It turns out that the place's function is following its form. Well, its warehouse form. Not it's love motel architecture form.
A warehouse with opportunities for someone to open a shop in front and live above the store -- just like Margaret Thatcher's family. Actually, two someones.
There are twin retail spaces on each side of the warehouse door. Our very own Pillars of Hercules. And the sign says they are now available to rent to some aspiring entrepreneur.
Unfortunately, if you go to the front door and show the workmen your Costco card, I suspect you will not be walking away with a $45 bag of pine nuts and two sets of snow tires. We are just going to have to use our imaginations to figure out what kind of merchandise requires that much space in little, old Melaque.
Of course, this does not kill the rumor that a Mexico blogger is opening a McDonald's in Villa Obregon. In the near future.
But you didn't hear that here.
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