Before multinational corporations decided that San Antonio was the next big thing, the city was filled with humble spots like La Amistad Tortillería. Owners paid little attention to photogenic interiors or the latest culinary trend. Steady crowds would still line up every weekend for a dozen tamales or a pound of barbacoa. It went on that way for 40 years.

Now that era has ended. The eatery, a West Side staple for generations, will close June 30, according to Facebook announcement. The owners offered no reason in the official statement and did not return a request for comment by press time.

“With a heavy heart we come here to announce that we will be closing down for business,” a representative wrote. “We thank all our supporters and customers for allowing us to make it this far.”

Teresa Guerrero founded the business at 2754 Culebra Rd. in either 1981 or 1985, depending on whether one believes the timeline presented on Facebook or Yelp. The colorful shop quickly became known for affordable eats and its thick, fluffy tortillas, still priced below $2 despite food inflation’s steady rise.

While the canary yellow storefront remained largely the same, San Antonio continued to change in the subsequent years. Though legacy restaurants like Adelita Tamales & Tortilla Factory continue to thrive, the face of San Antonio Mexican food scene started rapidly changing in the 2010s, when chef Johnny Hernandez opened La Gloria in Pearl.

Though it's hard to begrudge the city’s culinary explosion, it is leaving less room for the classics that quietly serve neighborhoods, especially chronically underserved areas like the West Side. For the generations who arrived early on Sundays to buy their post-church lunch, the demise of La Amistad is an immeasurable loss.