First our logo. Pachamama is a goddess of the Andes. Often she is described as a ‘fertility goddess’, as if somebody knew what that actually meant. In Bolivia she is a power of the earth, a sort of combination of the Greek Poseidon and Demeter—a cause of earthquakes, as well as the bounty of natural and cultured growth and birth. In more recent times, since the arrival of Europeans on these shores, she has taken up a symbiosis in the ritual life of Andean peoples with the Virgin Mary. This anonymous painting from Potosí, Pachamama o virgen del cerro, which inspired our trademark, reflects the synthesis. She is a mountain woman! A woman who is a mountain—or a plasma Christmas tree—or indeed a pillar to heaven. Consider the globe at the bottom; ‘Pacha’ is a Quechua word often translated ‘earth’, but some suggest that the concept is better translated ‘world’, or ‘universe’.

The building which houses Café Pacha was a podiatrist's office for 28 years. After much interior remodeling and a festive paint job, Pacha opened its doors on March 9, 2000. The proprietress, Julie Schroeder, ran the store and her sister, Suzanne, originally helped with bookkeeping. Julie had spent a year living and working in Bolivia and her inspiration was to import the beautiful handicrafts from the Andean countries and to offer some authentic South American foods, such as salteñas and empanadas along with coffees and teas. Pacha offered a variety of coffee drinks and snacks and the store was stocked with handicrafts for sale from Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. (That’s Suzanne painting one of our tables.) After a year, Julie married Laurent Fouillet, the charming and witty Frenchman responsible for Pacha's house-made specialties. Although the South American art was enjoyed by the customers, clearly the delicious food was outselling the merchandise. Little by little, more tables were added and Pacha became a café. In July of 2008, little baby Elliot was born and Julie & Laurent decided to sell the business. In December, the new owners, Marjorie Boulden and A. P. David (‘David’), Mother Pacha Inc., picked up the Pacha torch for all our wonderful staff and customers.

Marjorie is an electrical engineer who prefers managing and cooking for Pacha to sitting in a cubicle cleaning up other engineers’ microchip designs, no matter how good she is at it, nor how many figures they are willing to pay her. Pleasing palates with her pies and quiche and pancakes brings true satisfaction! So does running a happy ship. She and David dropped out of high school together in Hawaii, a year after the then ‘Barry’ Obama graduated from the same place—but they didn’t reconnect for over 25 years. They each have two children by first marriages. Mother Pacha, Inc., was founded in late 2008. David is a scholar of ancient Greek, whose theories, especially about Homer, are too controversial for him to be hired in an American Classics department. (Couldn’t make this stuff up, folks.) His book was published by Oxford, and he maintains a supporting website here. He has also published a novel under a pseudonym. Cliquez Ici! is his daily bread. Marjorie can often be found at Pacha, her home away from home, but you’ll only catch David if he wanders in in the afternoons. They both like to talk story!