Tacos Chiwas team opens coffee shop in Tempe. Everything to know
Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin, the owners of Tacos Chiwas and Cocina Chiwas and James Beard Award semifinalists for Outstanding Restaurateur 2024, soft-opened their latest venture, Aruma coffee shop, near the couple's popular restaurant at Culdesac, a car-free residential community in Tempe.
The idea to open a coffee shop isn't entirely new to Hernandez and Holguin. They briefly opened Cafe Chiwas next to their original Tacos Chiwas location in 2017, but the concept didn't last when they got too busy with their taco shop and the now-closed Roland's Market. Once the dust settled after opening Cocina Chiwas, opportunity knocked again.
"We weren't really looking to just do a coffee shop randomly, but this opportunity kind of just came together," Hernandez said. "Around us, you can see a lot of apartments ... I think could use a nice little coffee shop. In addition to that, we thought it was a great add because of Cocina being right next door. I think the two can work together really, really well."
The coffee shop is a partnership with former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Though he's moved on to the Tennessee Titans, Hernandez said Hopkins still has a lot of love for Arizona and wanted to keep some roots in the Valley, like investing in coffee shop.
What is Aruma like?
The color scheme of the walls and decor at Aruma incorporates light pink tones in contrast to the greens of Cocina Chiwas. But like its sister restaurant, large floor to ceiling windows and abundance of plants liven up the space and make it feel like a welcoming hub for both those who live at the Culdesac apartments and visitors from the greater metro Phoenix community.
Just like at Cocina Chiwas, Hernandez constructed the tables himself. He said his approach when designing a new restaurant is to "go into a space and see what it feels like it wants."
The cafe is still in its soft-opening phase, but Hernandez said he is looking forward to having a lot of fun at Aruma in the coming months with events like hosting loteria, karaoke and engaging in the Culdesac community through weekly Little Cholla markets.
What's on the menu at Aruma?
Aruma's signature drink is the Cochinito, named after the Mexican "little pig"-shaped pastry of the same name. The drink is made with piloncillo and cinnamon and tastes almost exactly like the pastry in liquid form with just a tinge of sweetness.
Other signature drinks include a Mazapan sweetened peanut latte with peanut butter drizzle, "Cornflais" banana flavored latte topped with Frosted Flakes and a Cajeta Mexican caramel sauce latte.
Aruma does not currently have its own kitchen, but it's location next to Cocina Chiwas allows them to serve breakfast burritos from the neighboring space. They also offer pastries from a local Mexican bakery. Hernandez said that in the next few months, he hopes to add additional dining options including grab and go salads, parfaits, pre-made rolls and fresh pressed paninis.
And once the liquor license is approved, the cafe's hours will be adjusted so that guests will be able to enjoy a full bar into the evening.
How to visit Aruma coffee shop
Aruma soft opened on Tuesday, May 28 near Cocina Chiwas at Culdesac Tempe. The cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily during the soft opening phase, with hours subject to change in the future.
A grand opening celebration is slated for fall 2024.
Details: 2011 E. Apache Blvd., Suite 143, Tempe. @arumacafeaz on Instagram.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tacos Chiwas masterminds open Aruma coffee shop in Tempe
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