About Us
Mestizo is a coffeehouse for our community. We serve flavorful coffee & delicious food in a space for everyone to feel welcome & accepted.
HISTORY
The vision of Terry Hurst (Tereso), writer, screenwriter and director and Ruby Chacón, a nationally recognized Chicana visual artist, first brought to life Mestizo Coffeehouse in 2008. The goal was to partner an art gallery with a coffeehouse to give more people in the community the opportunity to see art — especially art that would connect the rich and complex view of Utah’s multicultural existence.
In June of 2008, Mestizo opened its doors in the center court of the Citifront Apartment complex thanks to the efforts of Dan Stanger and his partners at the Bridge Investment Group, community resident Mary Ann Villarreal, and NeighborWorks Salt Lake — a local nonprofit that strengthens neighborhoods through housing, leadership, youth employment and economic development programs.
The Coffeehouse faced some insurmountable odds in the beginning as it survived several years of challenges including the recession and construction of a new nearby bridge and TRAX line that greatly impacted community access traffic. During that time, David Galvan, a neighborhood resident and real estate broker, stepped in to be Mestizo’s volunteer manager. Mestizo, which in the beginning was the west side’s only coffeehouse, was ingrained in the community and it needed to stay.
Mestizo would weather the storm, becoming a staple in the community and a gathering place for organizations including the Masons, atheists, LDS singles wards, political campaigns, festival meetings, DREAMers, Occupy Utah, 365 (an African poetry group), the YWCA's Violence Against Women project, League of Women Voters, Wild Utah and Black Lives Matter.
The Coffeehouse’s Fine Arts Gallery features local and nationally known artists and the space plays host to musical events, open mic night, yoga, and tango dancing.
“This place has a soul. It’s not just the four walls and coffee,” Galvan said. “It’s the heart of our community because of our diversity and acceptance.”
We are happy to host groups in our Fine Arts Gallery.
“Mestizo has met the vision of a community destination place for social and civic community engagement.”
— DAVID GALVAN
co-owner & manager
OUR THANKS & GRATITUDE
We are inspired by the many collaborators in our community who seek to do good work & make a positive difference.
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