Pete Coscarart, a Basque immigrant who journeyed from a teenage sheepherder to the founder of the Villa Basque Café in Carson City, died on Feb. 5, 2026.
Known locally for his “Pete’s Famous Chorizo” and a commitment to hospitality, Coscarart built his restaurant into a Carson City fixture where “generations grew up around the same tables.”
In a public statement announcing his death, his family described him as the “beloved heart” of the business.
“To our family, he was a loving husband, devoted father, proud grandfather, brother, and uncle,” the family wrote. “To Carson City, he was a friend, a familiar face, and the warmth that greeted you by swinging doors of his kitchen.”
His daughter, Isa Weems, remembered him as a deeply caring family man who purposefully instilled the values of hard work into his seven grandchildren.
“From a personal side my dad was the best dad me and my sister could have ever asked for; he was our hero,” Weems said.
Over the past three summers, Coscarart organized a lemonade stand with his grandchildren so they could learn about providing good customer service. “He loved sharing those lessons with them and creating memories they will carry forever,” she said.
Coscarart’s arrival in Nevada is the classic tale of a Basque immigrant: At age 16, Coscarart boarded his first ever plane flight and left his birthplace in the Basque region of Navarra, Spain and headed to Ely, Nevada to herd sheep, despite not knowing a word of English.
During his solitary time tending sheep in the Nevada hills, he taught himself the English language as well as how to play the accordion. In his later years, he would regularly serenade his café customers on their birthdays and special holidays.
Coscarart began selling his family’s generational Basque chorizo recipe in 1984 while operating a grocery store in Battle Mountain.
He and his wife, Martha, relocated to Carson City in 1996, opening Villa Basque Café to expand their chorizo market and seek better opportunities for their two daughters.
The Coscarart family has expressed their gratitude for the outpouring of community support and confirmed that Villa Basque Café will continue to operate in his honor.
“We remain committed to the warmth, hospitality, and traditions Pete built this café upon,” the family said.
A Celebration of Life service is scheduled for February 28 at 10 a.m. at Calvary Chapel in Carson City.
