Ciao Monte, a new Italian-American fusion restaurant, is saying hello to the mountains of Winter Park. The restaurant will fill a vacancy at Cooper Creek left by Leo’s Kitchen vacating the space earlier this year, and the new owners hope to open as early as the end of October. 

“We’re planning a soft opening at the end of this month,” said Chef Hari Karki, who’s part of the ownership team. “Then we’ll have a grand opening probably in November.” Ciao Monte is an extension of a Cooper Creek classic, the Indian and Nepalese restaurant Durbar. Karki, food and beverage manager Dev Pokharel and the owners of Durbar have partnered to open Ciao Monte.