San Maximum: Cafe Monet

By Austin Cowan
Blog Content Contributor

Cafe Monet is a unique place for San Marcans to spend some time in San Marcos. The creation of pottery masterpieces here allows people to exercise their creativity while being involved within their community. Cafe Monet is located within the main cultural hearth of San Marcos, the Square. There is no way for anyone to gain the maximum San Marcos experience without painting some pottery.

Location: 145 E Hopkins St, San Marcos, TX 78666. Cafe Monet is located on the Square, right beside Barfish Lounge and across the street from Vodka Street.

What One Can Do Here

Cafe Monet is where people go to paint pottery. Customers do not slip cast their own pottery, which means that the pottery is made ready for customers to paint.  When deciding on what piece of pottery to work on, make sure to take a glance around the gallery. This place is lined with completed pottery artwork which gives novices, like me, inspiration to try new painting stylesand designs. Cafe Monet offers a wide range of pottery for customers to paint. Mugs, plates, bowls, elephants, chicks and eggs are just a few of the things they currently have in the store. All the paint used here is edible, so customers can safely paint kitchen supplies here for their own use in the future. Make sure to come here with family and friends because painting is always more fun with multiple people.

The Environment

Cafe Monet has a helpful and inviting atmosphere. Once guests walk through the front doors they are instantly welcomed by a staff member who gives their guest everything they will need to paint. Once customers have chosen the pottery they want as their canvas they can pick where they want to sit. Now, there are multiple rooms to paint in so knowing the seating arrangement is important. The main room is a great choice for people who want to be close to the paint room. The paint room is where customers can get any paint they need. For serious painters, make sure to sit as close to the paint room as possible. However, for anyone just trying to kill some time, try sitting next to the window, which looks over the Square. This is my personal favorite spot in Cafe Monet because it is fun to people watch from here. I took a girl on a date here a few weeks ago and we both loved doing this. Guys, keep this place in mind next time you plan on doing something for the woman in your life.

My Personal Experience

My personal experience here can best be described as simple and entertaining. The reason why it was simple is because the staff explains everything so well. I painted a mug here not long ago and the store’s owner made it easy for me to understand not just how to paint my mug, but also how to make it have the desired appearance that I wanted. It was entertaining because I learned a lot of techniques about painting which I overlooked before. I found out just how much time can be saved through the use of stamps. After stamping some turtle painting onto my mug I was finished decorating it. The store owner then took my mug and instructed me to come back in a week to pick it up. Pottery needs to be fired after being painted in order to keep the paint in good condition. When coming to Cafe Monet, know that a return trip will have to be made within the next week.

Also, visit Cafe Monet during the holidays for the chance to paint holiday pottery. Currently they have Easter pottery: crosses, chicks, Easter eggs and rabbits.

Cafe Monet is a great place for people of all ages to have some fun. Painting pottery is a unique experience that causes people to be creative and inventive. Cafe Monet is a popular place in San Marcos for creative fun so it is definitely a necessary stop for anyone who wishes to achieve the maximum San Marcos experience.

Featured image by Austin Cowan.