Monman Coffee House

How did this place come about and what made it different from the start?
Monman Coffee House is a small café, architecturally designed from the ground up to be a coffee bar. We used locally sourced materials, aiming to create a space that felt like a home, embracing diverse activities, communities, and areas such as the kitchen and bakery. From day one, we've baked and crafted our own ingredients; everything revolves around appreciation, detail, time, and process. 

What part of the day, space, or creative process do those who work here enjoy the most?
We really enjoy the moment of meeting at the beginning of the shift before opening the doors, we start our mornings with strong hugs and sharing a cup of coffee, my work team is also my closest group of friends, as well as most of the people who visit the cafe daily, there is a lot of affection here. 

If someone is coming in for the first time, what should they not miss?
We highly recommend picking up a book or magazine from our curated selection, which aims to offer a wide range of reading material on design, architecture, Mexican literature, and gastronomy. Enjoy it with a flat white and a freshly baked tart. 

What has been an interesting challenge that has made you rethink something about the project?
We have had to rebuild our menu many times, rearrange our furniture and schedules; our mission is to offer our vision and preference but bring it closer to what is familiar and everyday for visitors; reaching a middle ground means we have to constantly listen, change and improve. 

What influence, idea, or reference continues to shape the way you work today?
My partner and I are fans of design, photography, music, architecture; we constantly keep in mind the words of Rulfo, O’Gorman, Fernanda Canales, Puma Blue, Men I Trust, Ultra 54. They help us fill the space with ideas, materials and sounds. 

What place, project, or person has inspired you recently and why?
Comala Café in Guadalajara was, from the very beginning and continues to be, our greatest inspiration. It's a place that paved the way for us to combine our passion and love for this area, but also for others, to put a lot of care into our projects while still leaving room for other activities that contribute to the continued improvement of coffee. These projects were led by people who always motivated and supported us. 

If your space could invite someone to collaborate for a day, who would it be and what would you do together?
We would love to have Salúva (Tlaxcala) here, an incredible coffee bar that we follow and admire; we find many similarities in our selection of beans and the values ​​that we like to reflect in our menu. 

Is there an object, corner or detail of the place that has a story that few people know?
All the plants and trees in the Monman gardens were planted alongside the steel structure that supports Monman. They've grown with us, and we've watched them grow these past three years; all those plants have also watched us grow. We see it as extremely important to surround the space with greenery, to give them the freedom to grow as they can and where they should. It's more their space than ours. 

If this project were a city, a book, or a record, which would it be and why?
Monman would be like “Riot On An Empty Street” by Kings of Convenience; there isn't a day that goes by without at least one song from that album playing on the speakers. 

Answers by Andrea Pizarro, co-creator at Monman Coffee House.