Popular Paramount Market Draws Thousands For Masa, Ire From Residents During Holiday Rush
PARAMOUNT (CBSLA) — It's become a tradition for many: thousands of people coming to Amapola Deli & Market to get their Masa before the holidays. But not everyone's feeling the spirit.
The two-day event brings in about 2,000 people per day. Owner Carlos Jalvan says there's a reason for that.
"We've been in business for 57 years and the formula hasn't changed at all," he said.
But not everyone is lining up. Some neighbors are upset about all the fuss.
Athena Ruther lives nearby and says the crowds are causing hazardous conditions. She wants the owner to move the store to another location.
"It's a constant traffic jam trying to get in and out if you just want to go up to the corner store ... which is only a couple blocks away," she said. "You can see right here the wait just to get in ... because it's a one-way, in-and-out cul-de-sac," she said.
"We have assistance from the local city of South Gate, which is our bordering city, and Paramount, with our sheriffs, to try and control the flow of traffic," Jalvan said. "We do the best we can but there's a lot of folks."
Those folks that are willing to wait in line for hours to get their holiday tamales.
The company says it sells hundreds of thousands of pounds of Masa during this time of year.