Nov 54 min read

Past, present y futuro : Felíz Cumpleaños Convivio Café

Two years ago, we opened our doors to this beautiful, bustling, multi-cultural, multi-lingual Café.

The last time we updated you with a Past, Present, and Futuro blog, we just found this little gem on 38th and Yates in the Northside. We couldn’t quite define what was to come, but we could imagine it.

The arches invited us in, just like they do to each of you now when you walk through the door each morning. The sunshine peeked through the western windows, brightening our perspective on the future, just like it does now every Saturday afternoon for Mas Convivio. And the floor creaked, telling us of past dreamers, immigrant entrepreneurs who filled this 100-year-old building with all kinds of creativity and culture.

So we imagined it into existence. We envisioned crowded tables where we could trade elbow space for friendly nudges with a new stranger. We envisioned rich conversation among all kinds of people, highlighting and celebrating the diversity of our city. We envisioned filling this place with the stunning flavors and kindness of Guatemala.

Most of all, we imagined our “home” as a place where we could be good representatives of the incredible, hard-working, and talented farmers who bring us the world’s best coffee from Guatemala.

We set off to be the first women- and immigrant-owned, Guatemalan-inspired, fully bilingual Café in Denver.

And guess what? We did it. WE - all of us. Including you.

Women- and Immigrant-owned

As an immigrant myself, I know how important it is for immigrants and newcomers to have that space where they can just …. be. No need for code-switching. It’s okay if your “thick accent” carries through the room. No need to make yourself small or fade into the background.

Now, two years in, we see this every day at Convivio. It comes in simple things like the natural multi-cultural feel of the Café that all of us contribute. Every day, we have the joy of hosting immigrants and women (and trans folks and older adults and little babies and old friends and new dates….) at our Café every day. One of our first customers (Luki’s mom), a proud Guatemalan that comes in weekly for her dose of frijoles. All the amazing members of ALPFA fill up the lobby with Spanglish, laughter, ideas, and support for each other as Latino professionals. The Mile High Farmers hosting their annual celebration here, supporting BIPOC farmers around Denver. The Colombian sisters, Duendes Tejidos, that showcase their talented jewelry and woven pieces on our retail shelves.

Not to mention the incredible food talent we’ve brought into our space for cenas culturales like Dos Caras from Michoacán, Dominican food from Vegan Sabor Latino, and Peruvian, plant-based excellence from Chef Carolina Zubiate.

Guatemalan-inspired

Guatemala, this tiny land south of Mexico, the cradle of the Mayan civilization. Only the size of Tennessee but boating two coastlines, 37 volcanoes, and numerous microclimates, Guatemala brings us bright, nutritious produce year-round and some of the world’s best coffee.

For two years now, we’ve had the privilege to show Denver a little bit of what Guatemala is all about.

Every day we taste it in our Champurradas, the semi-sweet, always crunchy little dunking dudes. A good reminder of why cafe should never be served solo and why we all deserve just a little something sweet.

We taste it in pepitoria - the mix of crunch and zest and spice that, when sprinkled over fresh mango or avocado, can literally change your life.

And frijolitos! These little black beans have literally powered all the hard work behind Convivioo Café. Salty, creamy, spreadable, dip-able, even good on a champurrada.

Of course, we taste it every day in our delicious, farmer-roasted coffee. Our rotating café del dia showcases single-origin and microlot producers from all regions of Guatemala. And our café con leche con cardamomo has become a signature latte, showcasing the sweet peppery cardamom that grows across the highlands of Guatemala.

Our menu continues to evolve as we think of more and more delicious ways we can share Guatemala’s flavors with Denver.

Fully Bilingual

When you walk into Convivio Café, you hear “Buenos dias.” You hear other languages, Spanglish, Gen Z slang, and Chilean pronunciations.

We are incredibly proud to have a fully bilingual staff - in Spanish and English - to welcome the nearly 30% of our community who speaks Spanish as their first language! It's funny how simple it is to be a bilingual Café. It's not easy, but it is simple. And we’re so proud to be an example of linguistically inclusive spaces where lots of different folks can feel welcome.

Some of my favorite memories have been welcoming abuelas from another Hispanic country into our Café for the first time, watching their surprise as we greet them in Spanish, walking them through our Spanish menu, and showing them warm hospitality in their own language.

Some other favorite memories are the way our staff gets to speak the language of their heart amongst each other as well.

From seed, to cup, to community

Our dream was that people would literally and figuratively “bump” into each other - bump elbows at community dinner, bump into each other in line waiting for a cafe con leche, and bump ideas about how to make our community better.

And guess what, it happened. WE did it. We get to see it every day, and for that, we’re grateful for you.

Growth is coming, changes are likely, we’ve only just begun. Amidst all the beautiful hustle and bustle of this incredible café we get to own, we cling to what we know:

First, community is invaluable. It’s the currency of our lives, and we’ve been given a passion and talent for building it, protecting it, and doing what we can to help it thrive.

Second, cultural celebration is needed, maybe now more than ever, in our communities, and we can play a role in bringing the goodness that comes from connecting with someone and something different than what you’re used to. The joy of realizing diversity is strength.

And lastly, well, coffee is good. It’s the stuff that fuels our revolutions. We’re proud to provide some economic justice for farmers with the coffee we drink.

It’s been such a pleasure to serve you for the last two years, and we look forward to many years to come.