This story was written in collaboration with L.A. TACO’s Media Lab class at USC, an incubator for emerging journalists aimed at forging a new path for the future of journalism.
Within a quiet Northridge strip mall, an Argentine cafe bustles with customers. Stepping inside, the space is small but inviting. The aroma of freshly baked empanadas and facturas—Argentine pastries—envelops you, and the friendliness of its staff will leave you with a broad smile on your face. This is Mate Conmigo, and the California Senate recognized it as a premier woman-owned small business on March 7.
Its signature drink, however, is not actually coffee.
Co-owner Gabriela Simoni decided to open the cafe in 2018 when she left her previous job in food service, looking to open her own “matería,” a cafe specifically for mate, a traditional South American drink made by brewing a tea from the leaves of the yerba mate plant. Mate has been enjoyed in the region for centuries, originally by the Indigenous Guaraní people and eventually spread by Jesuit missionaries. In time, the drink became a symbol of unity and togetherness since it is a common pastime in Argentina to meet up with friends to sip, pass, and share a communal cup of mate in rotation.