Photo by Kathleen Narruhn

After 23 years in the Mission District, Casa Bonampak is for sale. We asked owner Nancy Charraga about the sale and her years working at the store that began on 24th Street and ended up on Valencia Street. 

Mission Local: Why are you selling now?
Nancy Charraga: I have been in the business of importing and retail for 23 years, and two years ago, I was told by a shaman & medicine woman that my spiritual journey would take me in a new direction. Because of my deep connection to the Mission, this was hard for me to visualize at the time, and the process unfolding since has not been easy and comes only after a great deal of meditation.  
This year, the winds of change became impossible for me to ignore; something deep within me that needs a change of pace. I can also see that my mom and tias (aunties) are slowing down, and my elders need more of my quality time and attention.  
Because of the uber-gentrification happening in the Mission, there is a lot of fear and panic in the community, so I feel that this announcement must be done in a responsible way and I am grateful to Mission Local for helping me break this news.   
ML: Does the business come with the website and a multi-year lease?

NC: Yes, the website is included. I  am often surprised that many people do not know that in addition to the retail and internet store, we wholesale to other stores throughout the U.S. and to international locations. I also work with special-event planners, some of the best in the industry, customizing decorations and developing traditional products — all handmade by artisans in Mexico under fair-trade principles, of course.  I am often juggling more than a few special orders, making sure everything is delivered timely. In addition, I have expanded the cultural classes taught here and am offering decorating services off-site. You may often find me up on a ladder, happily getting a space ready for a fiesta.
Casa Bonampak is an octopus of cultural enterprise. Anyone interested can get in touch with me about the details including the price and lease. nancy@casabonampak.com
ML: What were some of the high points?

NC:  The artisans who are like family, and their cultural products. The wide range of customers — immigrants, locals, tourists and designers. Cracking confetti eggs on kids who visit. When dogs drag their owners into the store. The student classes that visit and exposing them to the beauty of Latin culture. How this business has shaped, transformed me, the amazing opportunities and incredible people I have met along the way. Spontaneous samba or salsa to anyone walking in and willing to learn.  Bringing my cat — our mascot — to work. He likes to commute by bike ?

My staff who, has worked with me for more than 10 years and are like family. OK, now I’m going to cry.

ML: Low points?

NC: This is really a small company, and the workload is a lot for one person. Anyone with a small business knows that you are working much of the time — it is not a traditional 9-5 schedule, and it can be physically demanding. This business is a good fit for a family or an organization that can share the load.

ML: You had a good run with the Trump piñata. What is selling now?

NC: Our specialty decorations and paper flowers are our strongest product, also the Trump toilet paper and our line of political caps — spin-offs of the Make America Great Again caps. Though sales of the Trump piñatas fluctuate, depending on WTF is happening on a national level, they are still wildly popular. In these challenging times, customers find the political lean and humor not only refreshing, but necessary.

trump pinata
Nancy Chárraga and Trump at Casa Bonampak.

ML: What plans do you have?

NC: First, to take my Mom on a long vacation — she has supported my business unconditionally.

I have always felt that I truly belong working with youth in the community; anyone that has seen me around kids knows this is true. I was actually told by the same shaman that my real contribution to the Mission is yet to come. Also, I am secretly hoping to still be involved with Casa Bonampak in some way, since I am an expert on surviving gentrification — so the Mission has not seen the last of me.

ML:  What if the business fails to sell? Will you close the store and move on?

NC: I can’t even go there. It would mean another legacy business closing in the Mission, no Trump piñatas on Valencia Street, the loss of economy for artisans and their families.

I am doing my best to take this one step at a time.
There is a spirit here, reinforced every day by a number positive comments and reactions we hear from people that walk in. I am talking about divine guidance — an energy that is greater than me. There is a spiritual need for this store and for the Latino presence in the Mission to continue. So I am petitioning the community to mobilize and spread the word and help me find the right party who can continue the cultural work and take it to the next level.
There are three requirements: must have business sense, must love Latin culture and must love the Mission.

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I’ve been a Mission resident since 1998 and a professor emeritus at Berkeley’s J-school since 2019. I got my start in newspapers at the Albuquerque Tribune in the city where I was born and raised. Like many local news outlets, The Tribune no longer exists. I left daily newspapers after working at The New York Times for the business, foreign and city desks. Lucky for all of us, it is still here.

As an old friend once pointed out, local has long been in my bones. My Master’s Project at Columbia, later published in New York Magazine, was on New York City’s experiment in community boards.

As founder and an editor at ML, I've been trying to figure out how to make my interest in local news sustainable. If Mission Local is a model, the answer might be that you - the readers - reward steady and smart content. As a thank you for that support we work every day to make our content even better.

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3 Comments

  1. Good luck to you Nancy, thank you for sharing your love and dedication to La Comunidad! follow your heart and the divide plan!! exited for your new adventure! Blessings

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  2. Nancy is a treasure to our community! I am sad for La Mision and for me personally. I hope the right person/persons continue Casa Bonampak. For Nancy, lots of love and positive energy for the next stage of her life!

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