Oregon, a traditional hamburger in São Paulo, is at risk of closing to make room for a building

Perched on the corner of Rua dos Pinheiros and Avenida Pedroso de Moraes, in São Paulo, a snack bar with a classic look — one of those with a wooden counter, stools covered in yellow leather and framed photos of snacks on the wall — seems to resist time. Or almost.

Founded in 1967 by the Portuguese Raimundo Pereira Guedes, who rented the space after working in a factory in Jundiaí, in the interior of São Paulo, and venturing as a salesman in São Paulo, Oregon was known for calming afflicted stomachs into the night with hamburgers and a mayonnaise whose recipe has been kept under lock and key for over five decades.

“At that time there weren’t many hamburgers, so he had a very good clientele, from economists, advertisers, artists. Even Ayrton Senna used to go to Oregon”, says Jairo, who is Raimundo’s son-in-law and one of the family members who have run the business since the founder’s death last year — he asked the story not to publish his last name.

Always amidst a confusion of novelties, the space also survived the arrival of dozens of hipster hamburgers in Pinheiros and the wave of bankruptcies that the pandemic leaves behind. In August of this year, however, the situation changed. The neighborhood, full of for-hire signs and buildings starting to rise, hints at the problem.

Along with those who lived in the eight-story building above Oregon, the family that owned the cafeteria received a letter from the owners of the property announcing their intention to sell the building. Since then, all residents have left the place, which, according to the former tenants, will be a house owned by Yuca, a company known for buying buildings in São Paulo, renovating them and creating colvings. But Oregon is still operating on the ground floor and its fate is still uncertain.

“The old administration told us to look for Yuca, but they don’t talk to us either. They keep playing for each other and we don’t know what to do,” says Jairo. He says the family had been expecting some negotiation for occupying the space 54 years ago. “We want to sit down to discuss the feasibility of staying here, we have a story.”

On the other side of the deal, the startup named as the alleged buyer of the property says it cannot comment on ongoing negotiations, but says it “searches for buildings that are outdated to renovate and operate in the long-term residential lease model.” According to them, the company’s projects seek to preserve the original architecture and maintain its connection with the neighborhood. They do not say, however, if the store is included in these plans.

For Jairo, the uncertainty in the continuity of the business is a portrait of Pinheiros, who is going through an intense moment of vertical integration. “It’s not just us who are in this situation,” he says. “Only here in the quadrangle are dozens of buildings being built, which has ended the life of the neighborhood.”

Veronica Bilyk, coordinator of the Pró-Pinheiros association, which brings together various groups of residents, analyzes that the situation faced by Oregon is repeated in other properties used by restaurants, such as those that house Le Jazz and Cantina Gigio, whose owners have been sought after by different developers interested in constructing buildings on the land. “This threatens not only the restaurants, but small businesses, such as the shoemaker, the seamstress, the stamp guy, the stationery, which end up being wiped out,” he says.

A survey carried out by the group shows that the region registered 381 demolitions last year and currently has 40 projects under construction. Bilyk, who ran the Polska restaurant, which was closed due to the pandemic, for five years, echoes Oregon’s response to changes in the neighborhood. “There are several ways for a city to become vertical. What we are seeing are processes without dialogue, without concessions, it is a ruler being passed through the stories of São Paulo,” he says.

Until the hammer is hit on the newest development in the neighborhood, Oregon continues to operate with reduced staff and hours, trying to recover the movement lost during the pandemic. At lunchtime on a weekday, at least, there’s a certain amount of normality around there — the soda in the glass bottle arrives chilled on the counter, the potatoes peel out of the fryer, and the generous hamburger keeps the secret mayonnaise firm and strong spread. for bread.