By O’Connor Daniel | Reporter
At Luna Café, messes, mismatched socks and even meltdowns are welcome. For co-owners Laís and Cida Loewen, it’s all part of creating a home for Waco families.
At this downtown Waco coffee shop, Laís spoke with her toddler perched on her lap. The child tested the table’s durability by banging a baby doll against it. Her mother and fellow co-owner, Cida, sat nearby, gently smoothing the child’s hair with the calm of someone who has seen it all. It was exactly the kind of scene the café was designed for, to combat isolation in motherhood, Laís said.
“I saw that moms were really lonely in Waco, and I said, ‘well, that’s not OK,’” Laís said.
Before the café, Laís said she had created a Facebook group that hosted monthly gatherings for moms.
The Luna Café storefront opened officially in May, after years of operating Luna Juice, a food truck. What began as living room meetups eventually merged with the family’s food business, creating a space built for both parents and children.
From the beginning, Laís and Cida designed the café with moms in mind — the ones running late, hitting traffic or wrangling toddlers.
“Things unexpected happen,” Laís said. “Luna wants to meet moms where they’re at.”
That philosophy extends to both the menu and the space, she said. Every dish is made with clean ingredients — no food coloring, grass-fed beef, pasture-raised chicken and eggs. The café also uses non-toxic cleaners and stocks a play area with safe toys.
“It’s as clean as you can get in Central Texas,” Laís said.
She added that items can be customized on the spot for picky eaters.
“If a child comes in and doesn’t see something they like, we can make something up right then,” she said.
Families have noticed. One Google review called the café a “therapeutic experience,” praising the chance to drink coffee while it was still hot, as children played nearby.
Laís recalled another moment that showed why details matter.
“We had a mom come in who saw the diapers stocked in the restroom, and it brought her to tears,” she said. “She told us, ‘My kids are older now, but I remember going somewhere, checking the diaper bag, realizing it was empty and just feeling distraught. Just seeing this here means so much.’”
Local childcare experts also say spaces like Luna are essential.
“Connection is a key predictor for health and longevity,” Dr. Karen Melton, professor of child and family studies at Baylor, said. “A popular summary of the research on social connection puts it this way: it can be ‘better to eat Twinkies with good friends than to eat broccoli alone.’ In that spirit, the clean-food emphasis at Luna gives families who value healthy eating a place to practice those values in public, alongside other families doing the same — essentially, a setting where you can ‘eat broccoli together,’ together.”
Dr. Erin Young, a professor in Baylor’s Department of Public Health, said third spaces like Luna Café are vital for maternal health because they give women a place to connect, share experiences and reduce isolation. She said many new mothers today live far from extended family, while others return to workplaces where they feel pressure to keep parenting challenges private.
“The importance of female community cannot be overstated,” Young said. “Women need each other.”
For Cida, the café reflects her roots in Brazil.
“In Brazil, our house is always open — to neighbors, to strangers, to anyone,” she said. “It’s so normal to just come to each other’s homes and eat food.”
She added that their hospitality extends beyond meals.
“We like to share more than just food and a good talk; we like to share Jesus,” Cida said.
As the café grows, the family is expanding into the neighboring building, with plans for a lounge and play area — one side for work and study, the other for kids to run free.
“Every detail is designed to remind parents they belong,” Laís said. “That’s why it’s written on our wall — ‘This is a place for you.’”
