Pasguato

How did this place come about and what made it different from the start? 
Pasguato was born at an unexpected moment. I was working in Monterrey and, after I was laid off, I decided to return for a while to San Miguel de Allende, where I’m from. Instead of seeing it as a negative pause, I took it as an opportunity to build something of my own.

The space is a small hallway, four blocks from the Jardín Principal. From the start I knew I didn’t want just a café, but a creative meeting point in a minimal format—a place where coffee could coexist with art and gradually build a creative community with people who shared the same ideas as me.

The name comes from something very personal: my grandma calls her children and grandchildren “pazguatos.” It means something like “silly,” but in an affectionate tone. I liked writing it with an “s” instead of a “z”; making it my own. The project has that spirit too: not taking things too seriously, but still doing them with intention.

What part of the day, space, or creative process do those who work here enjoy the most?
I think one of the things they enjoy most is the closeness they have with customers who tell them how they start their day on the way to work. Since it’s a small space, they can get to know local people better. San Miguel is a very awake city from early on.

If someone is coming in for the first time, what should they not miss?
A seasonal drink, and of course the exhibition on view at the moment, so they can discover a local artist. 

What has been an interesting challenge that has made you rethink something about the project?
Without a doubt, the way I balance things while I’m not in San Miguel, and maintaining a solid structure so everything flows properly with the ideas that keep emerging and that I keep developing.

What influence, idea, or reference continues to shape the way you work today? 
I’m very inspired by creative spaces I’ve encountered in Monterrey—places where art, music, and design coexist. I wanted to bring that energy to San Miguel, but on a smaller scale.

What place, project, or person has inspired you recently and why?
I’m inspired by independent projects that grow organically, that don’t wait until everything is perfect to begin. Spaces that transform over time and allow the community to shape them.

If your space could invite someone to collaborate for a day, who would it be and what would you do together?
It would be a local artist or creative from San Miguel who resonates with my ideas, or one of my friends from Monterrey. They’re people I deeply admire and whose vision I believe in. I’d organize some kind of event to keep connecting with the creative community.

If this project were a city, a book, or a record, which would it be and why? 
It would be a small city with narrow streets, where what’s interesting lies in the details rather than in how big it is; a place you like to visit more for its flavor and its people.

Answers by Javier Villarra from Pasguato