Homegrown Hangout {Cenote}
Cenote continues to serve the neighborhood with coffee, connection, and food.
Words by Sam Lauron Photo By Shelby Bella
Sitting on the corner of East Cesar Chavez and Medina streets, Cenote is a familiar sight on a now-bustling and ever-changing road. Though the coffee shop is a neighborhood staple, it wasn’t long ago that co-owners Cody Symington and Mary Jenkins found themselves wishing for this very concept.
In 2008, Cody and Mary, residents of the Holly neighborhood at the time, wanted to add something to their community. But it wasn’t until a friend visiting from out of town asked them where to get coffee nearby that they realized a coffee shop was exactly what the neighborhood was missing. After a few years of planning and working with the city to make it official, Cenote opened its doors in March 2012.
Though Cenote is less than 10 years old, the building where it’s located has deep roots in the neighborhood. The historic home can be seen on the first hand-drawn map of Austin circa 1889. Though it’s not technically designated as a historic landmark, Cody and Mary have managed to preserve the integrity and charm of the original structure, which is undoubtedly a characteristic that attracts locals and visitors alike.
“There’s some magic to the place that seems to draw people in,” Cody smiles. “There’s an energy that you just can’t replicate.”
When they initially came up with the idea for Cenote, the plan was to be a relatively small, neighborhood coffee shop. But as they grew and their community’s needs became more apparent, the duo—who both worked in the restaurant industry prior to Cenote—naturally expanded their offerings with a signature food menu and eventually added a second location in Windsor Park that operates as more of a restaurant than a coffee shop.
Though situated in a bustling part of the city, Cenote has not been immune to the challenges that the restaurant industry has faced throughout the pandemic. Business is slowly picking up at the Cesar Chavez location; however, the Windsor Park restaurant is easing back into its routine at an even slower pace. Despite the struggles this past year, Mary says that their team is truly what keeps them going every day. “We have a really awesome staff,” she says. “It really is like a family.”
Did you know?
The word ‘cenote is defined as a natural pit that exposes groundwater—in other words, an underground well or watering hole—and is associated with the Yucatan Peninsula. “We came up with the name initially because there was a well behind the original Cenote,” says Mary. “And, [originally],we were thinking we could make a water feature out of it.”
Contact:
1010 E Cesar Chavez St.
6214 Cameron Rd.
cenoteaustin.com
@cenoteaustin
@cenotewindsorpark
