Opening a play cafe, what would you want?

[teamaven]

I’m thinking of opening a play cafe in my local area, it really is a gap in the market here and I have confirmed interested.

To be honest I wouldn’t know where to start! But there are a few units available near me.

1st question - has anyone done this before and can provide some advice?

2nd. What would YOU like to see from a play cafe? Any unique ideas are a bonus

The one near us that is v successful has

• Decent food
• simple role play that's refreshed regularly
• its chill as seating is around play so you can leave small kids off with it...
• a separate upstairs space that is private hire birthdays, easter santa stuff etc and ticketed events (both their own and outsourced)

We have lots around here and they're very popular.

The only negative thing about all of them is the state of the toilets.

So I'd say make sure the staff keep on top of that and the baby change.

We have one near us that has coin operated bike lock type things that you can lock up your buggy with. Such a great idea that means the seating area isnt cluttered up with buggies.

There’s one near me where it is almost impossible to get a booking as it’s so popular.

They provide guided play, staff lead interactive storytimes, music sessions, craft sessions and mini discos. They also have a fully staffed and manned soft play area.
You book either an hour or two hour time alot and there is about as to how many they allow per session.

It’s spotlessly clean, the coffee and food are great. I’d live there in the school holidays if I could!

Clean, & don't charge loads for babies when accompanying an older sibling. Unfortunately we won't be going to our local one anymore as its an extra £9.50 to bring 6 week old baby (who would be in a sling and not using any of the equipment) along with their 3 year old sibling.

Jesus, where's the common sense in that?? 😱

What age would you start to charge from, if there was a baby sensory area? 6 months?

Make sure you have really run your numbers and people in your area are prepared to pay what it will cost. Fully loaded cost per hour of someone over 21 now is about £14. Cost of energy is going to rocket and there’s no price caps for businesses. The government keep putting up business rates.

Clean toilets - and I mean CLEAN! Not just checked in the morning and then left for the rest of the day like many are. Plus ventilation and proper nappy bins as they smell.

Not to have as many tables and chairs crammed into the space as you can possibly get - have space so you can push a pram between tables, rather than only enough space for an adult to shuffle through sideways.

Decent food and drinks.

Role play theme ie like Little Street venues have. There are plenty of soft play venues so try something different.

If you go with role play have a staff member or two who aren’t afraid to speak to parents if their child is creating havoc / trampling over crawling babies etc and they would rather than their nose in their phone than parent their DC.

An area specifically for under 1s only - even a 2 year old can cause harm to a baby under 1.
I know a big group of Mums on maternity leave that circulate play cafes based on whether it’s safe for their babies.
Even flooring, can’t stand wobbly tables to put your hot drinks on that then spill everywhere.
A photo prop area would be a big hit for Mums, the younger lot love an aesthetically pleasing photo op 😂

I know; we'd have been using it loads at the moment if baby was free to bring as its a lovely place, good coffee and ideal for occupying the 3 year old for an hour. Plus I'm breastfeeding so would probably buy their £££ cake too.

Clean toilets which include a toddler toilet seat and step so they can reach the sink. A changing table with a seatbelt so there’s somewhere safe to put a baby whilst helping toddler / using the loo. Plenty of toilets so the recently potty trained aren’t having to wait.

Also, decent healthy food. There’s one near us that does great nourish bowls and I’d always choose that over the panini and crisps ones.

Comfortable chairs, I get that they have to be easily cleanable but once you get to the point where the kids are happy and capable going off without you, it’s basically 2 hrs of sitting in a loud, overly bright, very busy space with over-priced and not great food. Having a comfy seat would make it so much more bearable.

Ooh yes I meant to add, one of the play cafes around here has two very low sinks for children.

Parking

The one near us is free for non walkers if accompanying a sibling. £2.50 if bringing them on their own.

Don’t charge for an adult.

its my absolute pet hate when places aimed at pre-schoolers charge for adults - they can’t exactly rock up alone.

The two nearest us have a good balance. One has one free adult per child, second adult £1, any further adults £10. In other words “don’t bring more adults”. The other place has one free adult then further adults are £5, but if you pay £5 you get a token that gives you £4 off the cafe. So basically if you’re coming with multiple adults spend money 😂

Yes, I think that would be fine as they would be using the play space then. I'd consider offering a sibling discount though; the more reasonably priced ones that are a bit further afield from us allow babies under 6 months for free when accompanying a sibling, and charge 50% of the usual fee for babies between 6 months and 2 years when accompanying a full paying sibling.

For it to be very cheap and cheerful! Instant coffee for £1, basic food like a cheese toastie, jam on toast etc. Budget party packages that the kids will love without the performative over the top decor some of the kids parties are lately, which is all for Instagram!

Definitely check what people in the area can or want to afford regularly. The places we go to regularly are cheap enough that we don’t have to think about it for a short weekend activity, so generally under £20 for a family or 2 kids and 2 adults. The one we go to regularly is £16 for our family (£8 per child and one adult free with each child). The more expensive places we still go to but tends to be only occasionally. Simple but good food, nice homemade cakes.

Clean, that's my numero uno on the wish list.

Our local one is sticky and tired like me

The one near me requires you to book with a 30 minute break between sessions when they deep clean. There are separate play areas plus a quiet room.

Way too risky a business in my mind

An area for toddlers to play that is separate from the other play equipment, contained, and (most important) policed to make sure big kids aren't in there. The local one near me hads the first 2 points, but there's always the 4-5ish year old kid of the owner and their friends playing in the toddler area, jumping around between the bits, and it's dangerous around crawlers/early walkers. My toddler has been uncomfortably close to the big kids either accidentally kicking or falling on them while they play, and we've stopped going there because of this.

Yes to not charging baby siblings if they accompany a big sibling, even with a dedicated baby space - think of it as a loss leader to bring in families who might stay longer if both kids are happy.

Our preferred one does the adults pay for entry, but get a voucher for the cafe. I think this is really appealing, and usually get something else from the cafe as well, where otherwise I'd be more likely to bring a flask with me and not spend anything else there other than entry fees.

Ive been a nanny for 20 years. Please dont charge for adults. Of if you do minimal charge. A menu thats decent and dont be afraid to add in some specials- we stopped going somewhere because in 6 years they dod nothing different. Clean is good. Even a cage with toys books and a few activities is missing in iur area rather than a full on soft play.hth