Cielito Lindo, located on Lake June Road, opened in an existing building but has a fresh new look and interior. Nevarez and Armenta completely transformed the place with new decor, neon signs, plants and a cozy interior.
“There's not really any brunch spots around Pleasant Grove,” Armenta says. “I feel like that's what makes it special."
Cielto Lindo is actually an extension of a food truck the family has owned and managed for the past seven years, Taqueria Juaritos, which is based on fare from the family's hometown, Ciudad Jaurez, in Chihuahua, Mexico. Each day, after the family is done serving at Cielto Lindo, they open Taqueria Juaritos, conveniently located just across the street.
Mom Always Knows Best
“I was planning on doing the bakery, and my mom was like, ‘Maybe we can open it and share it, like me and you, you can do the bakery and coffee, and we can open it as a restaurant,’“ Armenta says. The grand opening on March 2 had a DJ and several low riders from the Puro Barrio Car Club. Most exciting, though, was the line of customers lined up through the front doors — some familiar faces but mostly new ones.
“Pleasant Grove doesn't really have a lot of bakeries or coffee shops, so we kind of knew it was gonna do good, but, like, not this good,” Armenta says. “Mainly, it was a whole bunch of new faces, but some of the people from Taqueria Juaritos did come, and when they saw my mom they were like, ‘Oh, it's y'all,’ like they're all surprised because they already know her since she's been there for a while.”
Nevarez’s cooking skills pair well with Armenta’s baking to create a menu that will satisfy savory and sweet cravings. The chilaquiles are a top-selling item, plus they have huevos offered in several Mexican renditions: rancheros and a la Mexicana. There are tortas, tacos, burritos and quesadillas also. They also offer pancakes and yogurt parfaits.
The bakery here offers cookies, cupcakes, croissants, banana walnut loaf, chocoflan, mini pancakes and much more. The drink menu has lattes in flavors like horchata, dolcé, Biscoff and dulce de leche as well as horchata matcha (their best-selling drink) and strawberry matcha.
Since Armenta is now running her side of the business alone, she's keeping the cafe menu simple. She will expand the options once she feels more comfortable with the workflow and has more help.
“I hope that it stays consistent like how it's been right now, and I hope that I can get the hang of things more smoothly and have more family time,” Armenta says. She also hopes to find some help so she can take some time off.
Armenta credits her mom with being the driving force behind Cielito Lindo's success. She says that without her mother's support, she would “stay doing the same thing” and remain a stay-at-home mom.
“My mom, she's always been like pushy, well, she's my mom, I guess she knows my potential and what I can do,” Armenta says. “She's always been like, ‘Yes, yes, do it, do it.'"
A Helping Hand from Social Media
Armenta says she also owes much of their success to a TikTok post by a friend. Originally, she wanted the opening to be more organic, but didn't intervene when the post went viral. By lunch, there was a throng of customers. “On Thursday morning, she posted that TikTok [video] and then during the lunch hour people were starting to come in, and they would be like, ‘Oh, we came from this TikTok that we saw,’ and then the TikTok started getting more views and when we closed I told my mom, ‘I must stay to prep, because I know tomorrow is gonna be crazy.'"
The crowds didn't slow down through the weekend.
Nevarez and Armenta have put a lot of effort into Cielito Lindo, and as they continue to develop the concept, they may even consider another location.
“Thank God for this new beginning,” Nevarez says after being open for a month. “We are super excited, thanks to the people who are supporting us."
Cielito Lindo restaurant, 9600 Lake June Rd., Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday and Cielito Lindo Bakery until 3 p.m.
