A new South Tucson cafe named after two young sisters is honoring the neighborhood's history and filling a gap in green space, one cup of coffee at a time.

Abraham and Selina Barajas named Luna Y Sol Cafe after their daughters, 12-year-old Sofia Luna and 8-year-old Mia Sol, hoping the girls will one day carry on the business.

“Naming it after them is kind of almost like a hopeful wish that they're going to want to continue this work and own the coffee shop,” Abraham Barajas said. “Learning how to make coffee is a skill you could take anywhere around the world. It's a valuable skill.”

Before moving to Tucson in 2018 with his family, Abraham Barajas got the idea of opening a cafe in his hometown of Los Angeles after taking some business classes.

“I've always wanted to open a cafe … I wanted to do it in (Los Angeles), but the opportunities are a lot more difficult out there,” he said. “When we moved out (to Tucson), it wasn't necessarily in the forefront of what I wanted to do at that time.”

But with the couple already drinking a lot of coffee together and sharing conversations, they started imagining what it would be like to have their own cafe where they could gather friends and community members in a space where everyone felt comfortable.

Over time, the Barajases decided they wanted their cafe in the city of South Tucson, in the neighborhood where Selina's grandparents built their family home.

After looking for a location with ample parking and space to prioritize seating, the owner of the former Balloonland, Gabi Medrano, gave them the opportunity to purchase the historic building.

“We knew it was the space, but I wouldn't say it was love at first sight,” Abraham Barajas said.

The space, at 137 W. 29th St., took three years to develop into a coffee shop.

The building was originally owned by Ray Medrano and evolved from “Ray and Sons Tire Shop” to a tire shop that rented videos and provided music, to a video and music store, and eventually the party supply store Balloonland.

By the time the Barajases took possession of the building, both the inside and outside needed remodeling to be aesthetically pleasing, climate-conscious and food-safe. To make that happen, the couple recruited family and friends.

“We were in love with the idea of being able to transform the space into what it is today,” Abraham Barajas said. “A lot of the things that were done to this building were done by people that we care for, that they care for us … It was a slow labor of love.”

The Barajases also wanted to maintain green infrastructure, developing a public-private partnership with Tucson Bird Alliance to create a garden outside the cafe through the Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Lots of Compassion Garden Grant.

“We applied for a grant with Tucson Bird Alliance in partnership with Barrio Restoration, and we were one out of 10 groups to have received a $20,000 grant from Ms. Meyer's,” Selina Barajas said. “We were the only ones in the state of Arizona to receive it.”

The green space features a bird and butterfly mural, a shaded seating area, native plants and a mini free library managed by local group Mini Poderosas, a small homage to the dirt lot that previously housed the trailer that was South Tucson's public library.

“These residents don't have a consistent park here in the city of South Tucson,” Selina Barajas said. “There's not one public park where our residents could walk to. Stats show that if you don't have a 5 to ten-minute walk to a green space, there's higher probability of depression, anxiety, suicide rates. My hope was that by creating this, this will be a safe outlet for our communities in an area that is the hottest area in Tucson.”

Efforts to honor the property's history don't stop outside. Selina Barajas' grandfather, Frank Gallego, built the home her mother was raised in on West 30th Street and South 8th Avenue. Her grandfather would shop for CDs at Ray and Sons, and she would come to Balloonland as a high schooler for decorations for student council events.

With both personal and public history in mind, Selina Barajas commissioned local artist Jessica Wolff to create a photo exhibit and wall display honoring the history of the building and South Tucson.

“I love historic preservation, cultural preservation, honoring those that have come before us,” Selina Barajas said. “When Abraham and I received the keys to this building, I knew that there was history already here … and I knew that there was going to be stories that were going to be shared.”

A photo gallery titled “Snapshots of 137 West 29th Street” features archived photos centering on five pictures of the building in 1979, 1987, 1990, 1996 and 2023.

Other photos feature images of a trailer that once housed South Tucson's public library, Gabi Medrano's mother, Lupe, selling tires at the Greyhound Park Swap Meet, and Ray Medrano on the stage of El Casino Ballroom, where he promoted and hosted a performance by Los Tigres del Norte.

Next to the gallery wall is a collage in the shape of South Tucson, featuring Ray Medrano, Selina Barajas' family home, Ray and Sons Tire Shop and other symbols tied to the city's history.

The Barajases sought out Latino- or Latina-owned coffee roasters that prioritized working ethically with farmers while providing high-quality beans. They settled on Little Waves, a Latina-owned coffee roastery out of North Carolina that won Roast Magazine's Roaster of the Year in 2021 and 2022, as the source for their drip coffee, cold brew and espresso.

“It couldn't have been a better fit with their emblem also being the sun and the moon,” Abraham Barajas said. “With their blend being called ‘Amor Prohibido,' which is an homage to Selena Quintanilla, there's hints of milk chocolate, citrus, and the minute that we tasted it, it was just like, ‘This is it.' I wanted to be able to offer something that was applicable to everybody, they can taste this and be like, ‘This is good coffee, right?'”

With a large space in the back that once held the mechanic area for cars, the Barajases hope to continue remodeling to provide a community space for future events.

They were also intentional in building their team. Xiomi Oviedo has worked in coffee for more than eight years as a barista, barista trainer and founder of her own coffee catering company. With a background in menu development, marketing and business development, Oviedo was looking for a coffee shop rooted in community.

“I was looking for a place that was community focused, community based, wanting to be a part of the community … That's where I like to be,” Oviedo said. “This place has all the potential to be a space that people know, that people love, that people want to be at.”

Damian Qiroz previously ran his own coffee cart. After his business partner moved away, he was looking to return to coffee while highlighting what makes South Tucson great.

“(South Tucson) has this really bad charisma towards it from other people explaining it … we know that there's other things rather than just crime and stuff here in the city of South Tucson,” Qiroz said. “I'm super excited that people have a place to come in and feel comfortable and feel at home and have a safe space.”

Luna Y Sol Cafe's grand opening and ribbon cutting will be Thursday, Oct. 1, on International Coffee Day. The cafe is currently hosting soft opening hours.

“This place is about not only coffee, but community, conversation and connection,” Selina Barajas said. “I hope a lot of dreams come out of here.”

Topacio “Topaz” Servellon is a reporter with Tucson Spotlight. Contact them at topacioserve@gmail.com.

Tucson Spotlight is a community-based newsroom that provides paid opportunities for students and rising journalists in Southern Arizona. Please consider supporting our work with a tax-deductible donation.