Stagnancy occurs when we stop pushing ourselves to try new things, explore different perspectives, and continually reimagine what’s possible. And when we’re stagnant, not only do we fail to grow and develop, but, if left unattended, we will wither, devolve, and eventually perish. In other words, if we don’t force ourselves to regularly hypothesize, experiment, test, iterate, and learn, then we fail to embrace the fullest extent of what’s possible: Stagnancy is where imagination goes to die.
Change is often a key catalyst for embracing creativity, exploring untapped frontiers, and opening new doors, and it’s no secret 2020 was rife with this type of transition. Last year launched us all firmly out of our comfort zones, propelling us into new spaces where we were forced to redefine our environments and reinvent our traditional means of being in the world. In many ways, we’re still doing this now. And, while it certainly isn’t easy, and we surely aren’t always successful, this process has forever changed us: We’ve learned things we otherwise wouldn’t have known, we’ve seen things we otherwise wouldn’t have recognized, and we’ve stretched our wings in ways we hadn’t previously known were possible.
Over the past year one local restaurant in particular has lived this out in a very tangible way. Last March, Popol Vuh, a fine Mexican dining establishment created by chef José Alarcon and co-owner and manager Jami Olson, had been successfully open almost a year and a half before the world collectively took an unexpected nosedive. The distinguished sit-down restaurant—little sister to the attached casual taco stop, Centro—had finally hit its stride. Business was booming, the tequila was flowing, and Popol Vuh had become a bucket list restaurant for foodies across the Twin Cities. The hotspot had even won top accolades from Mpls.St.Paul Magazine and was included on the James Beard Awards semifinalist list. Life was good and the food was even better.
And then Covid hit. Like restaurants all over the world, Popol Vuh closed down, and Centro transitioned to taco takeout only. The majority of employees were laid off, and those who remained were left to figure out how to transition a fully functional in-person operation to a technology-run remote food experience.
As the months wore on and the pandemic continued to play out, it became clear to Alarcon and Olson that something had to give. Yes, with time and tech they had figured out how to keep Centro afloat—after all, everyone loves tacos so that was a relatively “easy” win—but Popol Vuh needed a considerable facelift if the space was to remain relevant in this new, rapidly changing environment. So, the team got creative. They ripped out the fancy fire grill and transformed the margarita bar into a breakfast nook. They took Popol Vuh—a singular, sit-down dining establishment—and metamorphosized it into something entirely different: Viv!r, a quick-serve Mexican takeout spot meets, Mexican bakery, meets Mexican market. Fully reimagined, Viv!r allows patrons to peruse a culturally-infused hipster giftshop, sample mezcal at the newly installed agave bar, or pick up a grab-and-go burrito (with a side of Mexican wedding cookies for dessert!) all in one fell swoop. The new concept is fresh, dynamic, and inventive, and it enables customers to engage in a multi-faceted cultural experience all without needing to leave their own city.
Stepping inside of Viv!r feels like taking an impromptu vacation to the Southwest. From the textile-rich woven baskets hanging from the ceiling to the Mexican-made blankets and snacks, to the cactus-themed everything, entering this newly reimagined space immediately took me back to my days of living in Arizona. Food and fun aside, perhaps what resonates most is Viv!r’s unmistakable vibrancy: More than anything Viv!r is an experience, and it thrums with a warm, electric pulse of possibility. Just like its name—modified from the Spanish word vivir (meaning “to live”) with an added exclamation point to pack just a little more punch—Viv!r is teeming with color, vivacity, and sheer life. It is a stunning, living embodiment of what’s possible when we are willing to take chances and reinvent that which once was so we can step into that which can be.
Alarcon shared this sentiment in a recent interview with Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, saying: “As a chef, sometimes you have to put away what you want, put your emotions away, because it’s just not the right moment. You have to adapt to the circumstances. You make it or not, based on what’s working or not working.”
In other words, you respond to the moment, adapt to your environment, and continually push yourself to stretch and grow. You iterate now and imagine often, because when you do life happens.
So, as you challenge yourself to explore more readily and try new things, consider ways you might learn from your surroundings and highlight your community in the process. Stretch yourself to reimagine what’s possible, and don’t be afraid to scrap it all, try again, and start from scratch. For when we do this, we create infinite opportunities for magic to take hold.
And when we do that?
Well, that’s when we allow ourselves to most fully Viv!r.
