Downtown isn’t exactly built for an unhurried pace. But TOMO mags, an independent magazine and art book shop on Brazos Street, aims to change the city’s frenetic tempo. Vico Puentes launched TOMO mags a decade ago in Houston inside a restored school bus—a mobile shop that still roams Austin today. What began as a mission to bring “cool magazines to people” has evolved into a deeply intentional pursuit. “It’s about creating a space where people can slow down, engage, and actually do something with their inspiration,” says Puentes, who helps shoppers discover items that align with their passions. Inside his ultramarine blue store, shelves overflow with curated titles, architecture journals, rare Spanish-language publications, books, and stationery. To encourage lingering, Cielito Lindo Café, a family-owned Latin coffee shop, serves horchata lattes while visitors sketch and jot notes. “People are realizing magazines can actually calm the noise of digital life,” Puentes says. By trading the algorithm for physical paper, TOMO mags gives Austin a place to pause, flip pages, and leave with something unexpected in hand.
