A new cafe and community space centered on holistic healing is set to open this fall in Philadelphia’s East Kensington neighborhood.
Mesa Blanca, owned by Jose Ortiz-Pagan and Ana Ramos, will open on the ground floor of the Jasper House apartment complex at 1835 E. Boston St. It marks the duo’s first brick-and-mortar location.
After a six-month search for the ideal spot, Jasper House stood out for its strong sense of community and roughly 140 apartments, giving residents the convenience of walking just downstairs to the shop, Ortiz-Pagan told What Now Philadelphia.
“The neighborhood itself is like this junction of a lot of communities coming together. You have a very old historic Puerto Rican community, and you have a very old Polish-Irish community,” he said.
Ortiz-Pagan and Ramos are no strangers to the healing space, as they also own Colectiva Clara, an online botanica offering Caribbean healing rituals and goods such as prayer candles, alcoholado rubs and salves.
“We were going to Puerto Rico, going to the Caribbean harvesting plants, learning about these plants from many people including my grandmother, but also other healers,” Ortiz-Pagan said. “We’re making plant baths, making balms for pain. I’ve been working with a lot of communities and serving and understanding what care can mean, doing work that is collective.”
Many of the products sold through Colectiva Clara will also be available for purchase inside the new cafe. Customers will additionally be able to participate in readings and Reiki sessions, a Japanese energy healing technique aimed at reducing stress.
“We want people to learn about these products and learn about the culture of healing. We want to demystify this idea of the botanica. What better way than sitting down sipping specialty coffee, eating a beautiful pastry, while you allow yourself to be curious,” he said.
Mesa Blanca’s coffee program will be developed in partnership with Elixr Coffee Roasters and will feature classic coffee and espresso offerings, including lattes and cortados. The menu will also include herbal teas and matcha.
“We’re going to have extended tea offerings. We’re making our own blends based on my grandmother’s recipes and utilizing the plants we have to help you with relaxing and help you invigorating yourself,” he said.
To complement the coffee and tea offerings, Mesa Blanca will serve pastries from Silvia’s Bakery.
“We’re talking to them to provide some of the pastries that they already work on, like quesitos, but with a Caribbean twist. We also might have croissants and pre-made sandwiches,” Ortiz-Pagan said.
The interior will be designed to feel “very earthy,” with a palette of terracotta and turquoise, paired with heavy wood elements to create an approachable, chill atmosphere. The duo is working with Ariel Vazquez, an ADC coordinator for architecture and interior design at the Community College of Philadelphia, on the design.
Ortiz-Pagan and Ramos are eager to finally open their own storefront and continue the conversation around healing within the community.
“We are super excited about this project. We have been thinking about this for years. One of the spark mantra in making this happen is ‘enjoy the process.’ Sometimes it’s easy to rush through because we’re really worried about everything, but let’s enjoy it,” he said.
Mesa Blanca is slated to officially open in September. Once open, the cafe will operate Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., with community events expected to extend hours on select days.
Stay tuned!
