How did the place come about and what made it different from the beginning?
WANI was born from the idea of a Japanese house look & feel with contemporary touches to develop a unique and singular coffee shop in Cancun, conceptualizing a Japanese cafe from A to Z un café japonés: desde la arquitectura, la música, los métodos de café, sandos, panes y postres, creando una atmósfera que te haga sentir fuera de la ciudad.
What part of the day, space, or creative process do those who work here enjoy the most?
The morning will always be everyone's favorite part of the day. For example, in the kitchen: preparing the lines, baking the bread, making the desserts, and getting ready for the first order. At the bar: calibrating the grinders and tasting the coffees we have that day. For the partners and operations team: getting together for coffee and talking about what's next for WANI, the specials coming up this month, and the events we'll be covering.
If someone is coming in for the first time, what should they not miss?
Don't miss out on a double espresso with a chocolate bar to start the day and a matcha or hojicha to accompany a tamagoyaki sando!
What has been an interesting challenge that has made you rethink something about the project?
El crecimiento con proyectos hermanos a WANI dentro de la misma casa, y el mantenernos firmes en la idea principal de coffee and sandos.
What influence, idea, or reference continues to shape the way you work today?
The influence is Japanese culture, and the idea is to continue being that Japanese house in the center of Cancun that offers the most authentic Japanese food, breads, teas and coffees.
What place, project, or person has inspired you recently and why?
Wow! What a great question! If it were a place, it would obviously be Japan. There are several projects, such as Enomoto, Dotcom Coffee, Bodæga, Panya Sam, FitØba. And the people would be the chefs Rafa Villalobos, Brandon Arriaga, Edo Kobayashi, baristas like Ramón Anguiano, toasters like J. Eduardo Salgado entre otros, todos por su gran pasión y entrega infinita a todas las cosas que hacen y desarrollan, y cómo toda esa pasión y energía pueden plasmarla en un producto final.
If your space could invite someone to collaborate for a day, who would it be and what would you do together?
I think I would invite the same people who inspire us to develop a Pop-Up for Everyone Together: Eduardo Salgado contributing FitØba beans and making coffees alongside Ramón Anguiano; Brandon Arriaga sharing his knowledge and leading tea rituals and cooking; and Rafa Villalobos making bread and sandos. We firmly believe, without a doubt, that it would be a fantastic Pop-Up.
Is there an object, corner or detail of the place that has a story that few people know?
Yo creo que toda la casa en donde se encuentra WANI y sus proyectos hermanos.
If this project were a city, a book, or an album, what would it be and why?
It would be Kanazawa because WANI's architectural design alludes to the teahouses of the Higashichaya district. If it were a record, it would be “Talk Memory" by BadBadNotGood because it grabs you and envelops you in an exceptional way with vibrant sounds and melodic embellishments that invite you to start listening to it again from the beginning and want to fully absorb all the subtlety of a very well-achieved contemporary jazz.
Answers by Jorge Miramontes, chef at WANI.
