Bonito Café y Mercadito officially opened September 14. by Julianne Bell When husbands Daniel and Ismael Calderón first started their pop-up market Aquí Mercado in April 2023, it was supposed to be a one-time occurrence. The couple, who had moved to Seattle from California a few years prior, wanted to kick off the opening of their third photography studio, Aquí, with something personal to them—a joyful party in honor of their queer and Latinx culture. They said that they wanted to create something that reminded them of home: “Not the place, but the feeling. The feeling of being surrounded by those who spoke our language, knew our challenges, knew our successes as people, and had hearts that danced to the same beats of La Chona. To sum it up: la cultura.”  After the first pop-up was exactly what they’d hoped, they quickly realized there was more demand for the market than they’d bargained for. It soon blossomed into a monthly event in Pioneer Square with a bar, live mariachi, drag performances, DJ sets, and more than 40 vendors selling flash tattoos, concha plushies, and spicy candy. “It’s more than a market,” says Ismael. “I always tell people this is a celebration of our community.” One family who moved to Seattle from Oakland regularly volunteers at the market and told the Calderóns that it gives them a monthly dose of the Latinx culture they miss from home. One pair of volunteers met through the market and started dating, and others have formed new friendships. Daniel (left) and Ismael Calderón say Bonito is "a celebration of our community." THE JUNIPER COLLECTIVE For some, the mercado also provides a sense of belonging that they couldn’t get at home. “We get a lot of older people who will come to us and say, ‘As someone who identifies as queer, I never had this kind of community when I was growing up.’ So to see a roomful of people who are living as their most authentic selves, enjoying themselves, it’s just really cool,” Ismael says. “When the dance floor opens, the first couples out there are usually queer. And we’re listening to music we grew up on—this is music that we listened to in the backyard with our family, not dancing with our partners out in the open.” Now, after persistent pleas from Aquí devotees to make the market more frequent, the duo has embarked on a new project. They’re opening a cafe and market on Capitol Hill called Bonito Café y Mercadito.  “Bonito was literally born out of the love we felt at the market,” says Ismael. “We wanted to create a space where people can feel welcome and excited and feel that sense of culture in an everyday setting.” The cafe’s name is derived from “Bonito días,” which is how guests will be greeted when they enter. The custom of greeting each customer is a common practice at the mercado—Daniel and Ismael make a point of welcoming each visitor individually. “It’s the Hispanic Latino hospitality,” Daniel says. “I feel like a lot of times growing up, you may not even know who’s at a family party, but you’re gonna say hi to them regardless. When you leave, you’re gonna tell everyone in the room bye. That’s just something we grew up on, and it stuck with us.” The ethos of the cafe embodies the concept of “community, not competition”—Ismael and Daniel emphasize that they’re not trying to revolutionize the saturated Seattle coffee scene, but rather create a space that is unique to them and their experiences. Bonito will showcase a range of Latinx-inspired flavors. “We want to have coffee that reminds us of our upbringing,” Daniel says. THE JUNIPER COLLECTIVE Beverages will include aguas frescas (horchata and jamaica), cold brew with horchata cold foam, and drip coffee with a café de olla option. Guests can customize their espresso drinks with syrups like dulce de leche, cajeta, and mocha sauce from the Mexico-based chocolate shop chain Rey Amargo (which also operates a cafe on Capitol Hill). Their strawberry lemonade will come decorated with edible glitter—which Daniel says will add “a little bit of our own special queerness”—and they’ll offer the cult-favorite combo of Mexican Coke and espresso, which they’ve dubbed the Muy Bien. True to the spirit of Aquí Mercado, Daniel and Ismael are working with a variety of vendors that share their values. Queer- and Latinx-owned Fulcrum Coffee Roasters will supply beans, while popular Aquí vendor and small-batch panadería Selva Central Goods will provide a daily selection of pan dulce with local ingredients and flavors inspired by Mexican and Central American culture. They’ll serve some prepared foods from the local plant-based restaurant Rojo’s Mexican Food, and their ceramics will come from Mexican-American potter Maritza Leon of the Introverted Potter, another frequent seller at the market. The mercadito section will carry a variety of goods from local vendors, such as jewelry, ceramics, art, greeting cards, and books. As for the community aspect, Ismael and Daniel have a plethora of ideas for ways to foster connection. They’re planning programming like RuPaul’s Drag Race viewings, movie nights, clothing drives, pop-ups, drag storytimes, DJ sets, dancing, and a Chappell Roan night. Accessibility is important to them, so the space is ADA-approved, and they’ll keep the bathroom stocked with free diapers and menstrual supplies. In the plant-filled second floor, where light streams through the lofty windows, visitors can lounge on tiered bench seats, similar to bleachers, with movable tables­—a setup that Daniel and Ismael say they’ve seen at coffee shops in California but not in Seattle. They hope the close proximity will encourage socializing among patrons. “I think people sometimes want to talk to each other but sometimes just don’t know how,” Daniel says. “So we’re creating a space that bridges that gap.”  The two are clearly buzzing with inspiration and enthusiasm as they discuss their plans for the business, which has been a near-constant topic of conversation leading up to the opening. Laughing, Ismael says, “Last night, as the two of us were winding down, I said, ‘I don’t want to talk about the cafe, I don’t want to talk about coffee. Let’s talk about RuPaul’s Drag Race, please. Let’s talk about something else!’” The process has been challenging, especially navigating permits, but the couple is already dreaming about potential future locations where they could fulfill the need for a safe community hub. “We want to see the representation that we didn’t have in our community growing up, and that comes close to our upbringing,” says Daniel. “I think that’s one of the biggest things we stress to people—this is our experiences put into a cafe, put into a mercado, put into the universe.”