Flat Tops Cafe Opens in Yampa as Community Gathering Hub

A new gathering place has opened its doors at 70 Moffat Ave., Suite A in Yampa. The Flat Tops Cafe is aiming to be more than just another spot to grab a burrito. It wants to be the living room of South Routt.

Owners Holly Olson and Rob Citto opened the cafe after recognizing a specific gap in the local market. They didn’t just want to sell food. They wanted to facilitate human connection.

“We recognized a need in this community, especially in Yampa, for not just another food option, but for a place for people to gather,” Olson said.

The business operates Thursday through Monday, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. That is a limited window. It forces locals to plan their visits. It also means the cafe is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings. On Wednesday evenings, the doors open for special events with rotating menus.

The menu is straightforward. Mornings feature specialty coffee drinks and freshly baked pastries. The savory options include biscuits and gravy, biscuit sandwiches, and burritos. Lunch shifts to hot and cold sandwiches and salads. It is standard comfort food. The execution is where the owners hope to differentiate.

Citto brings 30 years of restaurant experience to the table. He has worked in both the Steamboat Springs and North Routt areas. Olson brings a background in business psychology. They have been partners in recruiting and consulting before this venture. This is their first restaurant together.

They have lived in the Yampa area for the past two years. Before that, they spent a year in North Routt. They know the terrain. They know the people.

The cafe had a soft opening in late April. The grand opening happened last week. The owners are now looking ahead to the summer season. They expect visitors heading out to explore the Flat Tops Wilderness Area to stop by.

“Our main goal from day one has been to create a welcoming environment where the community can naturally gather, visit and feel at home,” Citto said in a news release.

Two months into operation, Olson says the community has embraced the spot. People are using it as intended. They are running into each other. They are reconnecting.

The location is strategic. Moffat Avenue is a central artery in Yampa. It is accessible. It is visible. The suite location suggests a lower overhead than a street-level storefront with large windows. That might help with profitability, though the owners haven’t broken down their costs.

The operating hours are the most significant constraint. Being closed on Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings limits revenue potential. It also means if you miss the window, you miss the meal. The Wednesday evening events help bridge the gap, but they are special occasions, not daily staples.

For locals, this means a reliable spot for breakfast and lunch. It means a place to meet neighbors who might not have seen each other in a while. It does not mean a 24-hour diner. It does not mean a late-night hangout.

The Flat Tops Cafe is betting that the desire for community space outweighs the inconvenience of limited hours. If the trend holds, it will become a fixture. If not, it will be another closed business by winter.

The bottom line is simple. You can get a good meal on Moffat Ave. You can meet your neighbors. You just have to be there between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., Thursday through Monday.