Toddlers awkwardly weaved across the floor on toy cars while others wandered between a miniature police station, firehouse and tiny café Wednesday afternoon at Cielito Lindo, Montrose’s new play café designed to give parents a place to relax while their children explore.
Inside the thoughtfully designed space, at 210 E. Main St, children moved between custom-built play houses that resemble a miniature town. A small grocery store, doctor’s office, construction zone and café — dubbed the Cafécita, or little café — create opportunities for imaginative play, while an infant area offers soft toys and sensory equipment designed specifically for babies learning to crawl.
Parents can sit nearby with coffee, to have a chat or work on laptops while keeping their children within view. But parents are also allowed, and encouraged, to take part in play with their wandering kids.
Provided photo | Cielito Lindo
Owner Susan Nieto said the concept grew out of her own experience as a mother of two young boys and her desire to create a safe, engaging indoor space where both children and parents could feel comfortable.
“As a stay-at-home mom, but also working from home, I really wanted a place for my kiddos to play safely, but I could also get stuff done or maybe meet other parents who were in the same stage of life,” Nieto said.
Cielito Lindo is open to children from infancy through age 10, with play priced at $6 for children ages 0 to 18 months and $16 for children ages 18 months to 10 years.
Nieto said she had seen similar concepts in larger cities while traveling and realized Montrose lacked an indoor play environment that combined imaginative play with a café-style atmosphere for adults.
“The more I looked around, I just didn’t really have anything that was like this here,” she said. “I thought it would be such a cool idea to have something indoors where parents can come, get coffee, get a snack, do work if they need to — but also the kids can play.”
Nieto brings a background in early childhood development to the business. She previously worked as a preschool teacher before later transitioning into a role as a victim advocate. But she wanted to use her child-development background to start her own business.
“There’s a lot of intention behind even the playground and how I structured it,” Nieto said.
Rather than relying on generic plastic play equipment, many of the structures were custom built to encourage pretend play that mirrors real-life experiences. Children can serve pretend coffee at the Cafecita, shop for groceries, respond to emergencies at the fire station or visit the doctor’s office, all of which include play tools for each pretend profession.
“It was more just to create a place where they could pretend play real-life things,” Nieto said.
Though Nieto has had the idea for a couple years, the construction process took about three months after Nieto found contractors able to help bring the concept to life. Her husband, Yovany, and her father-in-law, who own a roofing company, contributed to some of the finishing work alongside Nim Construction, which assisted with framing and detail work.
The finished product is impressive to see and has drawn strong reactions from visitors, including the building’s landlord, who converted the building from its former form when it housed Proximity Space.
“He said he was expecting something simple, little plastic (playhouses),” Nieto said. “Not this.”
The layout includes separate areas for different developmental stages. An infant section provides sensory toys and soft equipment designed for crawlers and very young children, while older children can explore features such as slides, climbing elements and a foam pit that support motor skill development.
“There are gates to help keep them in a safe area where they can run and play, and everything in there is age appropriate,” she said.
While the environment centers on children’s play, Nieto said the café component is just as important for parents. Cielito Lindo offers coffee and non-coffee beverages, as well as snacks designed for both adults and children. Some pastries are prepared with help from family members using the MADA commercial kitchen space.
The business also offers snack trays designed specifically for children and other simple food options.
Nieto said she hopes the space can serve as a gathering place for families, offering opportunities for connection and conversation among parents navigating similar stages of life.
“One thing I have noticed is that a lot of the parents that are here start talking and bonding. We all have little kids within that same age range, and it’s nice to see that you’re not alone,” Nieto said.
In addition to open play hours, the space is available for birthday parties and other private events. Some community groups have already begun using the space in creative ways, including gatherings for foster families and early childhood activities such as baby yoga or infant massage sessions.
“I’m very open to the community using the space however they see it,” Nieto said.
Nieto said the idea for the business had been on her mind for several years, but she did not begin actively planning until late last year. Once construction began, the timeline moved quickly.
Cielito Lindo held its grand opening March 17 and has seen a mix of busy and slower days as families begin discovering the new business.
Nieto said her own children have embraced the space, often reluctant to leave even after spending extended time playing.
“They love it,” she said. “You would think they would get tired, but when we’re leaving, they still want to go somewhere else and keep playing.”
Ultimately, Nieto said the business is meant to provide relief for parents while supporting children’s creativity and development.
“It’s super rewarding to raise kids, but it’s also very hard,” she said. “My intention was just to create a place where parents can relax and not worry about picking up the mess afterward.”
Cielito Lindo is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Evening hours are reserved for private parties and events.
The name Cielito Lindo translates literally to “lovely little sky,” but Nieto said it is commonly used in Spanish as a term of endearment for children, similar to saying “sweetheart” or “my love.”
Nieto said she hopes the business becomes a place where families can spend time together at their own pace.
“Just offering a place where they can come and play and relax,” she said. “For them to explore.”
Justin Tubbs is the Montrose Business Times editor. He can be reached by email at justin@montrosebusinesstimes.com or by phone at 970-765-0915 or mobile at 254-246-2260.
