¡Bendiciones!
1201 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702 / E. 7th and Waller
About Us
Raíces
Opened in the very spot it still stands, the Green & White Grocery was founded by Norberto T. Lopez in the mid 1930s to serve as the local grocery store and meat market for the neighborhood. He was succeeded by his son-in-law, John Cazares Sr., who continued to sell groceries, nationally FAMOUS tamales, and a small selection of herbs, oils, and candles until it was time to let his son take over.
Y entonces
"Little" John Cazares took the store over in 1993, keeping up the family tradition. In his time working in the store the demand for spiritual supplies grew, as did the competition from big-box supermarkets. John saw the need for a change and on January 1, 1996 the Green & White Grocery re-opened as "La Botanica" Green & White, offering a more varied selection of oils, herbs, candles, statues, and incense.
Y ahora
Today, John is still manning the register, ready to answer a client's question or suggest the appropriate product. He now carries products to cover almost any tradition: Mexican folkloric practices, Santeria and Ifa, modern pagan practices, and more. Helping the little guy, John carries a selection of handmade and curated artisan products. Consultations and cleansings/limpias are also available on Saturdays. If you stop by "La Botanica" you'll notice that the sign outside still says "Grocery" because John stays true to his roots.
Wait... Is that the cash register?
Two of customer's favorite items are the cash register and the adding machine. These two have been around as long as John has been in the store, and we're talking when he was a baby. These machines still work, due to John's tedious maintenance. Customers get a thrill at watching their total being tallied on a completely manual adding machine, clicking and whirring, having to pull a handle to add the numbers up. Stop in and check it out.
