Do I pay for all their coffees and drinks?

[Argentinasnargentina]

Dd’s birthday party this weekend. It’s at a soft play/activity type place. It’s three hours long and will include lunch provided by the establishment-pizzas, cheeseburgers, sweets, fruit platter, water and juices, cupcakes etc.
There are ten children coming with parents, the place has a cafe/coffee bar selling drinks & snacks.
As we’re hosting, what do I do? I feel
a bit uncomfortable with parents coming and having to buy their own coffee and cold drinks but the other option to have it open and we pay the bill at the end scares me a bit!
The party with all food included and an entertainer coming has cost a lot and the lunch will be plentiful

Not sure what to do?

I always offered to buy a coffee for the parents who stayed.
Some said yes and others said they would buy their own.
I think its nice to offer
The coffee in these places isn't particularly good and they don't charge Starbuck's prices either.

It wouldn't occur to me to pay for parents' drinks at a kids party. Every single one I've been to parents paid for their own refreshments

make a little coffee token and pay for a coffee each

Find out how much it would be to cover their first drink, but don’t run an open tab if you can’t afford to.

The norm is for people to buy their own coffee if they want it. They probably won’t tbh. I wouldn’t give it a second thought. If they’re thirsty they’ll just drink the water provided

I went to a party recently in a similar situation and I hadn’t brought any money bc I’d assumed drinks for parents would be laid on for free, I’d never been there before. They were not and it was shite watching my kid play for 2 hours, knowing only the bday kids parent and not being able to sit with a drink to feel a bit less awkward and pass the time.

People buy their own.
Sometimes they’ll do jugs of coffee /tea.
Take bottled water
Don’t open a tab! Slushes, crisps, choc, can add up quickly!

Start a tab, it's a very hospitable gesture. Never comes to very much (think it added about £20 to our bill) and nobody took the piss

Don't pay for the coffees/teas. No one would expect that!

Hehe - £20? Wowzers - that's like 5 x coffees now. I'm guessing your party was a few years ago.

The OP could theoretically have 20 adults coming in addition to the children!

I have never been to a party at a soft play or experience setting where parents have been offered a drink. Usually if parents are staying they buy their own drinks (and food) if they want anything.

The only parties I know where drinks are offered are when people hire a hall and have access to a kitchen so can easily (and cheaply) offer tea/coffee.

I would expect to buy my own

Would expect to pay for my own hot drinks as a parent

So party parents should stump up for coffees for who knows how many accompanying parents because you go out without money?

Are you normally entitled?

I don't think two hours without a coffee is much of a hardship. Plus, you have now learned what the norm is at these events.

I have always got my own and never expected party parents to pay

How many coffees was that ? 5?

Do you have very small parties or soft plays with very cheap prices 😂

I don't think i ever went to a party at a venue where the parents got a free drink
It's been a while but I can't even imagine how a tab would work in a soft play where multiple parties are happening at the same time in a chaotic environment

Parents buy their own drinks and food. You only need to provide food and drink for the children

People probably won't 'expect' it OP, but it is 10.30 and the party is quite long. Nobody will buy more than a coffee each. 10 parents - maybe you're looking at an extra £50. I'd just do a tab because they are bringing a gift and sitting in a soft play for 3 hours! It's only 10 people.

I think it was a bit entitled to assume parents would pay. Some parents will take their own flask to avoid paying if they don't want to stump up the cost themselves.

When you have hosted have you bought everyone drinks? Is that why you thought you would get one?

I would also suggest adding a bank card to your phone as I guess you had that on you, least then if you want a drink and realise you have to pay most places accept bank cards so use your phone to pay. Alternatively if cash only, you could always ask another parent and transfer the money to them immediately, I think most would be ok with someone saying I didn't realise it would be cash only and only have cards on my phone, would you be able to lend me the cash and I can bank transfer immediately.

I saw earlier someone saying that it's not Starbucks and they are cheap, but actually I have noticed that probably due to rising costs, most places do charge barista style prices and try to do fancy drinks to enable them to do this. Even a tea at at lot of places is £3. If a parent is offered a coffee at a venue the chances are they will say 'oh thanks, can I have a cappuccino?', not just an ordinary filter coffee, suddenly then the price is £4.50.
It's all different when hiring a hall and the host can simply put the kettle on and just say it's only instant coffee and take their own from home.

I would expect to pay for my own hot drink. It would add up considerably otherwise.

You are hosting the children, not the parents. Parents buy their own. Have been to dozens when my children were little- never known a tab for parents. Give them access to jugs of water and let them buy their own.

Been to plenty of softplay parties over the years and never ever known the parents be provided with coffee. You buy your own. There’s always big jugs of squash for the kids.

I’ve offered a welcome coffee or tea and drink at the cafe. The venue knew how to do it. They gave me tokens to give to guests.