Dear Editor:This letter is specifically to thank the friends and patrons of the Gourmet Cafe, which sadly closed its doors at the beginning of the New Year after many years of service to the citizens of Downey. We have been honored to have you as friends and customers, but must make way for the city's redevelopment plans at the corner of Downey Avenue and Firestone Boulevard. As proprietors, we enjoyed our relationship with Downey and its citizens and hope the future finds room for us to reopen our business after the completion of redevelopment. Again, a heartfelt thank-you to our hundreds of customers that came to bid us farewell over this past weekend, and are continuing to stop by. Our gratitude for your past business and friendship will be forever. We are hoping to serve you again as Gourmet Cafe. -- Frank and Rita Arias, Owners, Gourmet Cafe

********** Published: January 13, 2011 - Volume 9 - Issue 39