The opening coincides with the Guatemalan holiday Día de Todos los Santos, and a traditional dish called fiambre will be served.
, it reached its goal within two weeks. That success gave owners Kristen Lacy and Vivi Lemus hope that it would be able to open at 4923 West 38th Avenue come spring. It may have taken a bit longer than that, but the cafe is finally ready to start welcoming guests on Tuesday, November 1— exactly one year from that launch.
"It’s been a super long road, but we’re finally doing it," says Lemus. A series of setbacks including issues with their contractor and unforeseen changes required by the city delayed construction and continuously pushed the opening back from the projected spring to summer, and then fall.
"It's like Day of the Dead meets Thanksgiving," explains Lemus, who is from Guatemala. The day is celebrated with a dish called fiambre."People would go back to their hometowns and visit graves of loved ones that had passed on," Lemus says of the story behind the specialty."There weren't hotels back then, so they’d find refuge at Catholic church or monastery.
Convivio, a Spanish term for a get-together where people gather around a crowded table, share stories and connect over delicious food and drink, is a large part of Latin American culture and community, and something Lemus and Lacy hope to establish from day one with their cafe. The celebration will kick off with a small ribbon cutting ceremony at 7 a.m., and guests are invited to bring a photos of deceased loved ones to place on the cafe's altar throughout the day. Convivo will be open until 6 p.m. for the occasion.In addition to fiambre, there will also be samples from the food menu, which includes pastelitos and antojitos options.