Almost 12 years after the first residents moved into Tierra Contenta, the first business has opened in Plaza Contenta, the commercial area of the southwest subdivision.

Miklo's Coffee House at Plaza Contenta is up and running at 6005 Jaguar Drive, Unit 101. The business is owned by the husband- and-wife team of Russell "Miklo" Pack and Edwina Garcia, who are residents of Tierra Contenta.

The opening of Miklo's is the first retail business at Plaza Contenta in a process that is expected to include many more businesses at the 7.5-acre parcel bounded by Jaguar Drive, Paseo del Sol and Avenida Contenta.

The five buildings at Plaza Contenta, built by Jansen Associates, are two stories, with stores, restaurants and offices below and residential units above.

The next business to open there is likely to be the Tierra Contenta Corp., the nonprofit group that oversees development of the subdivision. Executive director James Hicks said he expects Tierra Contenta Corp. to open there around the first of December.

Right now, however, Miklo's is on its own — except for the crowds of thankful people coming through the doors for coffee and pastries.

"Our business has been growing as people find out about us," Garcia said. "We think it's a good location."

Garcia and Pack considered other locations, but this one was perfect.

"It's right across the street from our home," Garcia said. "We've been watching this space for five years. As soon as they broke ground, we started talking to them about a coffee house."

The shop is in a 740-square-foot space that required some work on Garcia's and Pack's part, although the contractor did most of the improvements, Garcia said.

In addition, "we brought our own equipment. We bought a totally manual espresso machine. It allows us to customize drinks more than way," she said. "We also brought in coffee grinders, coffee brewers and refrigeration."

The shop's pastry maker is American Pie, while a local company called Torino's provides breakfast burritos.

"We were just going to have coffee and pastries, but the residents kept telling us that we needed breakfast and lunch items," Garcia said. "Until somebody else comes in, we want to provide for the community. They keep telling us there's nothing else in the area."

Miklo's has seating for about 25 people, more on the patio in good weather.

The business is open from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday hours are from 7 a.m. to noon.

"We're closed on Sundays, but we will probably expand our Saturday hours, and we're considering Sunday hours," Garcia said.

Hicks is effusive in his praise of the new coffee shop, which he thinks is setting a standard other businesses who move in will have to live up to.

Other businesses that will soon be moving to Plaza Contenta include Advance Tax Services, which is now in the Santa Fe Business Incubator, and Southwest Design Group, which provides home furnishings and window coverings, said Brendan Miller.

Miller is project manager and broker for Sean Gilligan's SG Properties, the developer of Plaza Contenta.

Gilligan and Jansen Associates also will be leasing offices there, Miller said.

Negotiations are ongoing with a pizza restaurant and a soccer store, and there have been inquiries from those who are considering a small gallery space and a Pilates studio. Plans also call for a grocery store on the site.

"We would love to have a bank branch and some medical offices like an urgent care center or a family-practice doctor," Miller said.

"As Sean Gilligan says, we want it to be like the downtown Plaza 30 years ago," Miller said.