Café Pamplona was located at 12 Bow St. beside the intersection of Bow and Arrow Streets near Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. When it opened in 1959 it was the first café in the Square. The owner, Josefina Yanguas, claimed the café had the first espresso-maker in the city. Down a short flight of exterior stairs, past a patio with tables, customers entered the café's subterranean interior. The once austere decor included bright yellow lights which made the thickly-plastered walls glow under low ceilings, and a black and white checked floor. The café survived the changes that had taken place since the mid-1980s.
Café Pamplona sign, September, 2007Café Pamplona, August 2005
Josefina Yanguas, who arrived in America in 1947, roughly modelled the café after those of her native Pamplona, Spain. From 1959[1] until her death in 2007,[2] Yanguas was the only owner of the café.
Shortly after the café opened Yanguas and her Cuban chef Juana Rodríguez began preparing and serving food. As business grew Yanguas began to hire only men, in accord with the usual Spanish practice of having a single-sex staff, until 1999. That fall, this policy was revealed by The Harvard Crimson.[3] Manager James Timberlake hired Jenny Follen in late 1999, the first female employee in the cafe's 40 years; after that point, the café observed standard hiring practices.[citation needed]
The small mural on a wall in the cafe was painted fresco-style directly on site, by local artist Conger Metcalf,[11] a friend of the owner. Completed some time in the late sixties, its yellowed background was due to years of exposure to cigarette smoke. During this period the walls in the café needed to be repainted every four years as they would significantly yellow from smoke. While the central figure looks strikingly like Yanguas, she said it was not her portrait.[citation needed]
In December 2004, after 46 years, Yanguas put the Pamplona up for sale, but did not generate significant interest.[12] In May 2005, she reopened the café.[13] She died on August 1, 2007, at the age of 90.[2][14]
In 2006, the café got a new owner, Nina Hovigimian.[15][16] In an article in the May 30, 2020 Harvard Crimson, Hovigimian said that as a result of the COVID lockdown, a decline in business had forced her into bankruptcy. Whether the café would recapitalize and reopen was not known at that time.[17]
Pamplona referencesedit
Throughout the years the café and Yanguas's house have been mentioned by a variety of media outlets. It has been named best café in the Boston area by Improper Bostonian and other local publications. In 2000 an architectural exposé was written about Yanguas's apartment in the Boston Globe Magazine.
The café has been mentioned on NPR and in a variety of artists' reflections. Because of its atmosphere and history, Pamplona served as the inspiration for a variety of artists and thinkers. Reminiscent anecdotes of reading, working and talking in the café are recounted by a number of Harvard and Cambridge luminaries.
The café was the location for a scene in the film Prozac Nation.
Accounts of the café regularly appear in memoirs, including Pepper White's The Idea Factory: Learning to Think at MIT.[18]
In April 2004, painter and sculptor (and former head waiter 1999–2005) Jeffrey P. Smith built an art installation for the Boston Museum School 5th Year program. Called "Space for Solitude", it was largely based on architectural details of the café. The door which had been on the café since its opening (1959–2004) was the same door used in Smith's installation. In his catalogue essay he dedicated the work in part to owner Yanguas.
In January and February 2006, the café's courtyard was the site of a temporary public art installation by DeWitt Godfrey titled "Pamplona," sponsored by the Cambridge Arts Council.[19]
Café Pamplona is mentioned in The Dresden Dolls' song "Truce", composed by Amanda Palmer: "You can have Africa, Asia, Australia, as long as you keep your hands off Café Pamplona."
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Cafe Pamplona was located at 12 Bow St beside the intersection of Bow and Arrow Streets near Harvard Square in Cambridge Massachusetts United States When it opened in 1959 it was the first cafe in the Square The owner Josefina Yanguas claimed the cafe had the first espresso maker in the city Down a short flight of exterior stairs past a patio with tables customers entered the cafe s subterranean interior The once austere decor included bright yellow lights which made the thickly plastered walls glow under low ceilings and a black and white checked floor The cafe survived the changes that had taken place since the mid 1980s Cafe Pamplona sign September 2007Cafe Pamplona August 2005 Contents 1 History 2 Pamplona references 3 Bibliography 4 References 5 External linksHistory editJosefina Yanguas who arrived in America in 1947 roughly modelled the cafe after those of her native Pamplona Spain From 1959 1 until her death in 2007 2 Yanguas was the only owner of the cafe Shortly after the cafe opened Yanguas and her Cuban chef Juana Rodriguez began preparing and serving food As business grew Yanguas began to hire only men in accord with the usual Spanish practice of having a single sex staff until 1999 That fall this policy was revealed by The Harvard Crimson 3 Manager James Timberlake hired Jenny Follen in late 1999 the first female employee in the cafe s 40 years after that point the cafe observed standard hiring practices citation needed The cafe attracted both bohemians and academics from both nearby Harvard University and the greater Cambridge community Notable patrons of the cafe include Al Gore 4 and Amanda Palmer 5 6 7 8 9 10 The small mural on a wall in the cafe was painted fresco style directly on site by local artist Conger Metcalf 11 a friend of the owner Completed some time in the late sixties its yellowed background was due to years of exposure to cigarette smoke During this period the walls in the cafe needed to be repainted every four years as they would significantly yellow from smoke While the central figure looks strikingly like Yanguas she said it was not her portrait citation needed In December 2004 after 46 years Yanguas put the Pamplona up for sale but did not generate significant interest 12 In May 2005 she reopened the cafe 13 She died on August 1 2007 at the age of 90 2 14 In 2006 the cafe got a new owner Nina Hovigimian 15 16 In an article in the May 30 2020 Harvard Crimson Hovigimian said that as a result of the COVID lockdown a decline in business had forced her into bankruptcy Whether the cafe would recapitalize and reopen was not known at that time 17 Pamplona references editThroughout the years the cafe and Yanguas s house have been mentioned by a variety of media outlets It has been named best cafe in the Boston area by Improper Bostonian and other local publications In 2000 an architectural expose was written about Yanguas s apartment in the Boston Globe Magazine The cafe has been mentioned on NPR and in a variety of artists reflections Because of its atmosphere and history Pamplona served as the inspiration for a variety of artists and thinkers Reminiscent anecdotes of reading working and talking in the cafe are recounted by a number of Harvard and Cambridge luminaries The cafe was the location for a scene in the film Prozac Nation Accounts of the cafe regularly appear in memoirs including Pepper White s The Idea Factory Learning to Think at MIT 18 In April 2004 painter and sculptor and former head waiter 1999 2005 Jeffrey P Smith built an art installation for the Boston Museum School 5th Year program Called Space for Solitude it was largely based on architectural details of the cafe The door which had been on the cafe since its opening 1959 2004 was the same door used in Smith s installation In his catalogue essay he dedicated the work in part to owner Yanguas In January and February 2006 the cafe s courtyard was the site of a temporary public art installation by DeWitt Godfrey titled Pamplona sponsored by the Cambridge Arts Council 19 Cafe Pamplona is mentioned in The Dresden Dolls song Truce composed by Amanda Palmer You can have Africa Asia Australia as long as you keep your hands off Cafe Pamplona The cafe is mentioned in the 2003 Jhumpa Lahiri novel The Namesake The cafe appears in the background of the rooftop photo of Claudia Gonson in the booklet in The Magnetic Fields CD box set of 69 Love Songs Cafe Pamplona is mentioned in Part III The New World of Eva Hoffman s memoir Lost In Translation A Life in a New Language Bibliography editCafe Pamplona amp Cambridge Iruna Cookbook by Josefina Yanguas Lulu com February 2005 ISBN 1 4116 2356 8 ISBN 978 1411623569 Eliodora Josefina Yanguas Perez opened Harvard Square s first European style cafeReferences edit Kinzler Alice E October 30 1959 Continental Cafe The Harvard Crimson a b Kelly M Aidan August 10 2007 Beloved Pamplona Owner Dies at 90 The Harvard Crimson Archived from the original on June 4 2011 Osceola Ariel B December 9 1999 Fifteen Minutes A Strange Brew at Pamplona Waiters Wanted Women Need Not Apply The Harvard Crimson Archived from the original on March 5 2016 Schraa Eugenia B October 9 2002 Cafe Revamps Food Not Image The Harvard Crimson Archived from the original on June 4 2015 long day s journey into square Amanda Palmer Blog August 30 2010 The Dresden Dolls Diary dresdendollsdiary blogspot com The Dresden Dolls Diary dresdendollsdiary blogspot com The Dresden Dolls Diary dresdendollsdiary blogspot com The Dresden Dolls Diary dresdendollsdiary blogspot com The Dresden Dolls Diary dresdendollsdiary blogspot com Conger A Metcalf Biography www askart com Widman Wendy D December 14 2004 Cafe Pamplona Will Close Doors The Harvard Crimson Archived from the original on March 5 2016 Yu Raymond L May 20 2005 Cafe Pamplona Returns to Square The Harvard Crimson Archived from the original on March 4 2016 Marquard Bryan August 5 2007 Josefina Yanguas 90 her Cambridge cafe served as a gathering place for intellectuals The Boston Globe Cambridge USA Office of Tourism CAFE PAMPLONA www cambridgeusa org Archived from the original on 2022 08 22 Retrieved 2022 08 22 Weesner Ted February 27 2017 At Cafe Pamplona where old Harvard Square is in full swing The Boston Globe Levien Simon J Liang Sophia S May 30 2020 A Harvard Square Without Harvard The Harvard Crimson The Idea Factory The MIT Press Archived from the original on 2007 11 09 Retrieved 2007 09 02 Cambridge Arts Council About CAC Archived from the original on 2007 12 18 Retrieved 2007 09 02 External links edit nbsp Food portal nbsp Spain portalOfficial website 42 22 18 N 71 06 56 W 42 3717 N 71 1155 W 42 3717 71 1155 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cafe Pamplona amp oldid 1184025246, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
