WELCOME

NACO Gallery Café opened its doors on Dundas and Brocton Triangle area. The gallery aims to promote culture and enrich community. We do so by promoting local emerging and established visual artists, showcasing video and new media, hosting book readings and other cultural events. The cafe serves Mexican inspired cuisine with an emphasis on healthy, tasty food. We also offer imported food and coffee from Mexico. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are served during special events and regular hours.

ABOUT

From colonial times the word naco was a pejorative word used to describe native people, who tended to be poor and without formal education. Recently, however, the word has been reclaimed by modern young Mexicans. For them, naco can mean ‘cool.’ NACO Gallery looks back to the origins of the word in the Totanac language. The Totanac culture ruled most of what is now Veracruz in Mexico before the Aztecs conquered them about 25 years before the Spanish conquistador Cortés landed in AD 1516. The capital city of the Totanac culture was at Zempoala, and at the time of the Spanish arrival, they numbered about 100,000 people. In the Totanac language, naco refers to the heart: “The Heart’s Town” or “The People’s Heart”