Zócalo Casa + Jardin is a collection of five Latin American-inspired shops, located at & integrated with
Green Things Home and Garden center in Tucson, Arizona. Here you’ll find everything from folk art to furniture & more!
We are open 7 days a week from 8:30am - 5:00pm at 3384 E. River Rd, Tucson, AZ 85718
Perfect Buyer Emerged for Zócalo
Tucson shopping legacy Zócalo was sold in May, 2018 to Green Things; a local garden, landscape and nursery destination located on River Road in the Binghampton Historic District. Zócalo's previous proprietors, Robert and Karri Stowe, have agreed to stay on as consultants and have been instrumental in the transition of Zócalo to Green Things. They continue to work closely with new owners Jack and Jan Westenborg to expand Zócalo into a Gallery and a cluster of shops dubbed “Zócalo Village” on the Green Things premises.
Jan and Jack noticed Zócalo's retirement ads in the Desert Leaf and Tucson Lifestyle Magazines in the Spring of 2018 and approached Bob and Karri to discuss buying. A deal was struck to acquire Zócalo's merchandise and to move the business to Green Things’ sprawling garden oasis. Zócalo's ambience had captivated Jan over the years. Impressed by the quality and sheer scope of the fine and unique merchandise from Mexico and locations around the globe, she first encountered Zócalo at its original location in the Joesler-designed Broadway Village. She shopped there often, discovering beautiful Talavera, finely made furniture, folk art, collectible textiles, antiques and a plethora of art. Visiting Zócalo was like being transported to a different country, or as some said, a museum. She found treasures from far flung locations like Oaxaca, Chiapas, Michoacan, Guerrero, San Miguel de Allende, Europe, South America, Asia and Africa. The Stowes’ experience and familiarity with well-known native artisans and their provenance made for a truly unique shopping experience.
Jan felt strongly that it would be a shame for Tucson to lose a local treasure of this caliber. Buying Zócalo and tapping into the Stowes’ extensive expertise as consultants and buyers seemed the perfect solution. Stowes have true insider information after pounding cobblestones world-wide for so many years. It was their keen eye that made Zócalo a prime destination for unique artifacts that add dimension to homes. Always eager to discover new pieces to introduce to their clientele, the Stowes’ emphasis on products “hecho a mano” yielded merchandise that adds warmth and an interesting touch to our Casas. Jan’s background in Mexican folk art, archeology, anthropology and history, via college studies in Guadalajara seemed to complement the Stowe’s skills. Jan also had travelled extensively across Mexico and continues toiling to conquer the Spanish language. It seemed to be a match made in heaven. The vision was created to move Zócalo's merchandise to a cluster of shops and the historic house on the grounds at Green Things. The name “Zócalo Village” seemed an apt moniker for the concept to merge Zócalo and Green Things into a combined marketplace. The historic home on our property has become Zócalo's Gallery, housing the most upscale merchandise with the addition of fine Western oil paintings and bronze sculptures. The four other adjacent shops contain home décor, mirrors, lamps, furniture, garden art, gift items, and related folk art from around the world.
As the transition proceeded, it became clear that what was being created was a Home and Garden center with a southwestern and Latin American flair. And so the brand “Zócalo – Casa + Jardín” was born. Green Things is already the largest purveyor in Tucson of Asian pottery and ceramics as well as Mexican Talavera. It seemed a natural fit to leverage this niche into the related home and garden products carried at Zócalo. Green Things’ extensive collection of plants and cactus can be enhanced with the pottery, furniture and garden art found at Zócalo. Zócalo has long echoed Tucson’s love of outdoor living and entertaining by offering upmarket outdoor mesquite furniture (made comfortable with Sunbrella cushions), wrought iron tables, tile murals and tables, and exquisite lighting. The Westenborgs and Stowes are looking forward to joining forces to make Zócalo even better. They are committed to buying trips to the indigenous pueblos of Mexico and markets across the globe to further enhance Zócalo's mission to bring their discriminating clients the best of the best! In addition, plans are already in the works to expand the custom furniture line to include cabinetry, doors, bathroom vanities, kitchen islands and full kitchens.
The employees from both businesses offer complementary skill sets. Green Things has expertise in merchandising, design, social media and web development, aside from their gardening and landscape talents. The Stowes have become adept at knowing their stuff with regards to the merchandise they carry. Buying on location has allowed them to develop genuine relationships with the craftspeople they have worked with and supported over the years. Expect to see Bob and Karri actively engaged in the new operation when they are not on the road garnering more treasures.
Green Things is a thirteen acre plant nursery located at 3384 East River Road in Tucson’s Binghampton Historic District adjacent to Brandi Fenton Park, between River Road and the Rillito River Path. Zócalo moved from their location at 2924 East Broadway just west of Country Club Road. Customers may continue to contact Zócalo at the original phone number 520-320-1236. Bienvenidos amigos!