Mint Café
Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua • 1916–1932
Precursor to the Harry Mitchell Brewing Company
Overview
Type: Precursor Business (Not a Brewery)
Years Active: 1916–1932
Founders / Key People: Harry Mitchell; Enrique Fernandez
The Mint Café was a successful bar and café in Ciudad Juárez co‑owned by Harry Mitchell and Enrique Fernandez. It provided the financial base, business experience, and industry connections that enabled Mitchell to return to El Paso and found the Harry Mitchell Brewing Company in 1933.
History
- 1916: Harry Mitchell moves to Ciudad Juárez.
- 1916: Mitchell and Enrique Fernandez open the Mint Café.
- The café thrives during the Juárez entertainment boom of the 1910s–1920s, serving cross‑border clientele from El Paso.
- The business gives Mitchell the capital and operational experience needed to start a brewery in El Paso.
- 1932: Mitchell sells the Mint Café and returns to El Paso to begin planning his brewery.
Location
Historical Address: Avenida Juárez near the Santa Fe International Bridge (exact street number unknown)
Modern Address: Avenida Juárez, Zona Centro, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico
Latitude / Longitude (approximate): 31.7448, -106.4850
Location Notes: Located on Avenida Juárez within one block of the Santa Fe International Bridge, in the early 20th‑century Juárez entertainment district. Exact street number not preserved in surviving records.
Breweriana & Artifacts
While the Mint Café was not a brewery, surviving artifacts help document its role in Texas brewing history:
- Mint Café Menu: Original menu from the café (your artifact).
- Period Photos: Images of Avenida Juárez and the Juárez entertainment district.
- Context Ephemera: Postcards, advertisements, and nightlife materials from early 20th‑century Juárez.
Timeline
- 1889: Birth of Harry Mitchell in Blechington, England.
- c.1900s: Mitchell immigrates to the United States.
- c.1910s: Works as a bartender at the Hotel Paso del Norte in El Paso.
- 1916: Moves to Ciudad Juárez and co‑founds the Mint Café with Enrique Fernandez.
- 1916–1932: Mint Café operates as a successful cross‑border bar and café.
- 1932: Mint Café sold; Mitchell returns to El Paso to found a brewery.
Lineage
Business Lineage: Mint Café → Harry Mitchell Brewing Company → Falstaff Brewing Corp. (El Paso Plant)