Owner Carmen Saucedo is working toward reopening Pau’s Place, serving coffee and more on Third Avenue in Downtown Chula Vista. After closing earlier this year, Saucedo is looking to make a strong comeback with new offerings to bring together the local community and serve a charitable purpose.
The coffee shop is named in memory of Saucedo’s daughter, Pauline, and will operate to raise proceeds to honor the work she was passionate about in life. Carmen Saucedo tells What Now San Diego she wants to leave behind a legacy and build a foundation to support the real reason behind the business.
Saucedo’s daughter Pauline maintained a strong love for Disneyland in life, she visited the theme park often while she studied Theater at nearby UC Irvine, and worked as a Barista and Cafe Manager.
“She was an expert in coffee, so the best way to honor her would be to have a coffee place,” shares Saucedo. Pau’s Place combined Pauline’s love for coffee and Disneyland, with cafe sales contributing to fulfill her daughter’s goal to bring underprivileged children to Disneyland for the visit of their dreams.
The cafe closed over the summer due to various Covid-related regulations surrounding outdoor seating and food service. “Serving just coffee will not work,” explains Saucedo, so she’ll be adding in a food element beyond grab-and-go snacks. The cafe will serve up some of Pauline’s favorite dishes: vegetarian tamales, empanadas, chips and salsa, and other small dishes. Saucedo’s plan is to keep things simple and inexpensive, with about 10 menu items, contributing profits to the foundation.
Carmen Saucedo is in the early development stage of reopening Pau’s Place. It will be a process to transform the space in order to provide food options. In the meantime, she maintains dedicated to serving the local community as part of the San Ysidro Women’s Club. The group is currently planning their Christmas Parade and Teddy Bear Drive on Saturday, December 11th, offering donated teddy bears to children in need of holiday cheer in San Ysidro. Keep updated by following Pau’s Place on Instagram as they rebuild on Third Avenue.
