08 Dec Metztli Brings a Piece of Jalisco to Richmond

Natalie Reyes stands in front of some of the products offered at her store, Metztli, located at 12478 San Pablo Ave. in Richmond.

Story by Zoe Meyer | Photos by Denis Perez-Bravo

As a little girl, Natalie Reyes split her time between Richmond and Jalisco, a western Mexican state along the Pacific. She remembers peering outside the window of her Richmond home and wishing Jalisco and her 32 cousins would appear in the backyard.

“Growing up, the moment school let out, we were on a plane to Mexico,” Reyes said. “The day before school started, we were on a plane back home.”

With roots in Jalisco spanning at least four generations, Reyes’ parents taught her about her culture, in part through Mexican music and movies starring noted Mexican actor and singer Pedro Infante, and from that, a deep love for her homeland grew.

“You go out there, and things are different. The life out there is so much slower, so much more intentional. You’re walking by people in the street; you’re saying, ‘Hi, how are you?’” Reyes said.

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Over the years, Reyes has felt the ache of her heart split between two places. She’s always loved Richmond, which she describes as “such a diverse bubble with a little bit of everything everywhere.” 23rd Street, for example, is known as a Latino hub with heavily Latino stores. Eventually, she decided to bring a little bit of Jalisco to Richmond.

In August of 2023, she opened Metztli, her own tiendita (Spanish for “little shop”) completely by herself. While daunting, entrepreneurship runs in her blood. In Jalisco, her family has run a barbershop called Reyes Barberia for 100 years this month and her cousin owns a hotel over there. In Richmond, her dad owns a plumbing business.

“So the love from the arts comes from my mom, and then I feel like the hustle and wanting to have something and make something comes from my dad’s side,” Reyes said.

Whenever Reyes feels doubt creeping in, she listens to Mexican artist Natalia Lafourcade’s song “Hasta La Raíz,” meaning “to the root.” The song keeps her rooted in her mission: helping people connect to where they came from. 

“If you don’t know where you come from, how do you know where you’re going? If you’re not connected to your roots, then how do you know who you are?” Reyes said. 

Metztli features traditional home and kitchen goods, such as pottery, textiles and aprons, handcrafted by Jalisco’s artisans themselves. Reyes said she particularly loves the botellones, ceramic water jugs that infuse earthy flavors into water and date back over 2,000 years to Mesoamerican civilizations like the Maya and Zapotec.

Naming her business for Metztli, the moon goddess in Aztec mythology, was a natural choice for Reyes, who has always been drawn to it. Her brother designed the logo, which features a feathered serpent on the upper left of the crescent to represent Quetzalcoatl, a central Mesoamerican figure. The lower curve of the moon is embellished with forget-me-nots and roots, reflecting her message, while the fire symbolizes strength and transformation.

To appeal to younger customers, the store carries millennial/xennial art, which often involves nods to specific pop culture references, as well as stickers, greeting cards, key chains (the ones modeled after conchas, the shell-shaped Mexican sweet bread, are particularly popular), tote bags, cups, candles, clothing, and even a Mexican version of bingo called Loteriá. Reyes also stocks her shelves with the works of local vendors and Latino/a-owned businesses.

“It’s just a mixture of the newer generation being able to connect to their roots and the older generation feeling that nostalgia of returning,” Reyes said.

Reyes said her favorite moments are when customers walk in and say something like, “I used to use this when I was in Mexico. This is what we used to cook with,” pointing to the warm, earth-toned pottery, Barro Canelo cookware. And then she’ll overhear younger people saying, “Oh my god, remember when Mom used to say that?” gesturing to a sticker or tote bag.

Located at 12478 San Pablo Ave. in Richmond, the storefront’s windows are lined with traditional Talavera design found on the products inside, hand-painted by local artist Jacinto (find him on Instagram: @Xicanosb). Inside, Metzli is flooded with natural light and the shelves are filled with plants soaking up the rays. Cinnamon incense is burning, an aroma that embraces like warm sheets fresh out of the dryer. Leaning against a wall is a mirror adorned with bougainvillea and monarch butterfly stickers, signifying immigration. Also written on the mirror is “​​lindo y querido,” which translates directly to “beautiful and beloved,” referring to Mexico. Beside Reyes’ desk on some bookshelves sits a photo of her and her late dog, Dodger, a black German shepherd named after the streetwise terrier from the animated film “Oliver & Company.” 

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Below the photo is a stack of books all from her La Raza Studies at Contra Costa College, which explores the traditions, history, and personal experiences of Chicanos and Latinos across the Americas. Among those books is “Harvest Empire: A History of Latinos in America” by Juan Gonzalez, “Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs” by Coe Urcid Koontz, and “Latina/o Heritage on Stage: Dramatizing Heroes and Legends” by Daniel Enrique Pérez. Across the room is an old, framed map of Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco. Her degree in business administration with a general management concentration from Cal State East Bay is on display too. 

Reyes has plans to add more personal touches to the store. Outside, “Metztli” will be written across the top in the distinctive spray-paint style commonly seen on walls in Mexico. And after the rainy season, a mural with bright pink and purple Mexican flowers such as orchids and passionflowers will be added. 

She also wants to include small cultural touches — like a dog figure on the roof, a nod to the flat-roof homes in Mexico where dogs often look down onto the street.

Inside, she plans to add floating shelves with photos of her family and some vintage bar pieces. It’s a personal tribute, especially to her great-grandfather, who made ceramics.

For many, Reyes said, Metztli functions as a safe space. She shared a story about one customer who works from home and sees the store as their getaway when life gets too overwhelming. Walking around the store helps calm them. 

Reyes also sees Metztli as a sanctuary during a terrifying time for immigrant communities.

“If you’re getting chased, run in here and run to the back. I don’t mind going to jail,” Reyes said. 

She also hopes the connection to roots will “fuel their stubbornness to be exactly who they are and to not try to hide it just because it’s a time when they are being persecuted.”

Since opening, Reyes has put her all into Metztli. She has not paid herself in two years. Running a shop on her own has been a tremendous undertaking, and she’s still learning every day.

“To be your social media manager, to be your marketing person, to be the janitor, to be the admin, to be the accountant — it’s everything in one,” Reyes said. And as of right now, bringing an employee on is impossible financially. 

 

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But it’s all worth it for Reyes, even if the shop is barely breaking even.

Reyes believes supporting small businesses is important because their products are not mass-produced and reflect the heart and soul of the people who made them.

“The fact that, you know, another human made it, not a machine,” Reyes said. “They’re imperfect, just like us.”

If You Go

According to the store’s Instagram page, Metztli is open “10ish” to 5 p.m. Wed.-Fri. and “9ish” to 4 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Its address is 12478 San Pablo Ave., Richmond, CA 94805.