Remember this slogan. Meet me at Sanborns. Sanborns is more than just a store. It is a landmark, a meeting place, and a piece of Mexican history.
Sanborns started as a transplant of the American coffee shop to Mexico City in 1903. Two brothers from California, Walter and Frank Sanborn, founded it. They wanted a better life in Mexico. The original Sanborns also opened the country’s first soda fountain. Today, the original location still operates as a lunch counter.
During the Mexican Revolution, Emiliano Zapata’s troops gathered at a Sanborns branch. That branch is now Libreria Madero. Photos show Zapatista soldiers enjoying their first restaurant meal there. This cemented Sanborns as a gathering spot.
In 1919, Walter Sanborn grew tired of the revolution. He returned to the United States. Frank continued to manage the company. The three owls in the Sanborns logo represent Frank and his two sons. For a time, the company was even called Sanborns Hermanos. That means Sanborn Brothers.
Also in 1919, Sanborns acquired its most famous location. It is the 16th-century House of Tiles, Casa de los Azulejos. This colonial mansion is a major tourist attraction and a national monument. José Clemente Orozco painted a mural inside.
Frank Sanborn sold his interest in Sanborns in 1946. The buyer was Charles Rudolph Walgreen Jr. from Chicago. Like Walgreens, Sanborns does not use an apostrophe in its name. In Spanish, apostrophes are not used to show possession.
As of 2021, there were 197 Sanborns across Mexico. They stretched from Tijuana to Cancún. Most Sanborns have restaurants and cocktail bars. A famous menu item is enchiladas suizas. These are Swiss enchiladas with chicken, cheese, and green sauce.
Larger Sanborns locations also function as junior department stores. They sell electronics, entertainment items, pharmacy products, and cosmetics. You can also find magazines, books, toys, and clothing there. Sanborns offers financial services too. Customers can pay bills and make bank deposits.
Sanborns stores are in almost all parts of Mexico. Only six states do not have a Sanborns.
One of the most iconic Sanborns is in the Casa de los Azulejos. The House of Tiles is covered in blue and white tiles from Puebla. The building dates back to the 18th century. It once belonged to the Counts of the Valley de Orizaba family.
Inside the Casa de los Azulejos Sanborns, a stained-glass roof covers the main courtyard. A peacock mural by Romanian painter Pacologue decorates the space. José Clemente Orozco also created a mural there called Omniscience.
Sanborns has hosted many famous people over the years. Painters, writers, actors, poets, and revolutionaries have all visited. It became a symbol of a cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Sanborns struggled with sales drops, and closed its Central American stores in 2020. Despite these closures, Sanborns remains an iconic brand in Mexico. The food served at its restaurants is among the best in the country. It is an established institution of the Mexican retail terrain.
So, when you are in Mexico City, remember Sanborns. It is a place to meet, eat, shop, and experience history. It is a true taste of Mexico.