Customers Rush To Stock Up At Reopened Broguiere's Dairy In Montebello

MONTEBELLO (CBSLA) — Customers lined up early Friday, ready to wait in line and prepared with coolers to stock up.

"I'm not messing around, I want my milk," Jackson Luna said, showing off several bottles of Broguiere's Dairy regular and chocolate milk in a blue cooler.

The beloved Montebello dairy, which closed in July, reopened Friday, not even a month later. Owner Ray Broguiere's announcement of the dairy's closing earlier this year, after nearly 100 years in Montebello, incited a rush from customers who were heartbroken they would not be able to buy the locally-produced milk anymore.

But the dairy reopened Friday with Broguiere's son, Chris, at the helm.

"I can't give a long term," he said, of whether the dairy would stay open. "All I can say is I'm going to day to day and be here as long as people keep asking for me to be here."

The dairy has been a Montebello staple for nearly 100 years, and had sold its wildly popular chocolate milk and eggnog in retailers like Gelson's. The Broguiere family cited California state business regulations as the main reason why the dairy had to close.

"The cost to run a small business in California is very expensive, and the output of the product I was doing was not enough for what it costs," Chris Broguiere said.

But on Friday, business was brisk and customers left Broguiere's happy.

"The chocolate milk is unbelievable, like no other," customer Becky Esparza said.