Activities for children whilst dining

[ReeDaisy]

Hi all. I'm about to start a new venture and would love input from parents. I have a 2yr old very active son and I will be opening up a Dessert Parlour with added activities for children and families.
Would love to hear thoughts on whether this sort of place would be of interest. It will be an establishment for the whole family to come and take time out of their day to indulge and connect with one another. A focus on wellbeing will also be looked at i.e yoga / wellness talks etc. A place with community involvement that brings people together. A place where mamas can have a coffee and a guilt free slice of cake whilst there LO plays, learns and creates.

• I would like to know whether you would visit a Dessert Parlour if it was more interactive for yourself / family i.e. offered Games / Activities / Learn new hobby / Arts and Crafts (ceramic painting, Tshirt stencilling) Arcade Machine / Childrens Storytime / Play Area / Game Tournaments / Craft Kits and Lessons (candle making) etc / Various entertainment?

• If no / maybe. What would encourage you to visit a Dessert Parlour with your family i.e. Menu / Price/ Offers/ Atmosphere/ Location/ Free crafts?

• What would be the average price you would be happy to pay for a craft kit / craft lesson.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks All 😀

Could you run it as child oriented during the day (finger painting etc) and more adult oriented at night (yoga, cocktail making etc)?

Agree that it does sound like some pretty incompatible activities that you want to run at the same time.

You'd be better off opening a yoga/ pilates/dance studio for teens and adults and offering a range of healthy drinks and snacks, with wellness lectures on the menu too. Nobody with small kids beings them to what would basically be a sugar cafe in hopes of relaxing with a cuppa.

Actually, some people would, and because of that you would be forced to close.

When I had toddlers I just wanted a cafe where they'd serve a plain omelette or some toast my kids could pick at in a high chair while I had a coffee, non messy stuff. The opposite of what you think "mamas" want

Is this a franchise where you will have sunk your own money into after being given the hard sell course on how to run it when in all reality they are just making money off the back of wannabe entrepreneurs dreams?

This sounds like you are trying to condense what a local community centre does. It sounds like there is too much going on and you lack a USP.

By “dessert parlour” do you mean cake shop/cafe or one of those American style waffle/pancake places?

Are the craft classes supervised so I can leave my child and go do yoga for an hour?

It sounds like your aiming in too many different directions, are you hoping for younger children and parents/carers as it's very different to older children even aged 5+.

Are you going to be having staff or just you? If no staff you will be ran absolutely ragged.

Do you have food training or anything? Instead of dessert menu what about healthier options like courgette muffins and spinach Shakes? Hidden veg type things for children as most would avoid just sugary options and a mismatch of unorganised events.

A cafe that did a selection of healthy and treat food, with maybe different aged colouring sheets and colours would be nice, you could have events too for younger children during the day with a deal for cheaper coffee or something for parents but only if you have a separate room for this, if not I think anyone with school aged children won't notice you.

My gym does something like this, a play leader takes the kids off for a disco / games /craft activities after their meal so adults can get a catch up. I've avoided it as it's very noisy, kids running about etc. It's also just on once a month as they can really only get one sitting in when it's on.

That's why I always went to supermarket cafes if we were out and about and needed a drink or some food 😀 I could just buy a couple of rounds of toast or a plain cheese sandwich from their kids range of meals. Unlike the fancy cafes where the closest I could find was a 3 cheese and sourdough bread toastie with bechamel sauce.

Things I liked in a child friendly cafe
Simple kids food - the option to buy things like hummus on toast / a scrambled egg / a bowl of beans / a piece of toast
A few toys
Colouring pens and sheets
Plenty of high chairs.
Decent changing area

I'd personally use a dessert centred cafe as an absolute treat - maybe a birthday. I prefer healthy home cooked food and then I'd happily visit once a week.

You can offer crafts such as pottery painting or something - but don't also make cakes and desserts a focus as it just sends kids hyper and parents don't want their kids eating things like that all the time

The fact that OP started a thread to discuss this but hasn't been back and we're still all very unclear on what is being offered and how it is supposed to work doesn't bode too well!

Thing I liked about our local play cafe was you could choose a plate of 5 things from a long list for the really young kids, e.g. cheese chunks, pitta strips, hummous, falafel, veg sticks, grapes etc.

All cake should be guilt free and I would be put off by the twee message

There was a fantastic ice cream parlour in a suburb of Birmingham a few years ago. It had a small soft play area but was a very long space so you could sit down the other end and not be bothered by kids as well. It made all its own ice creams, did a good variety of savoury food and excellent coffee. I went there loads and would enjoy a second cup of coffee while dc played.

It closed due to rent I think, it was in a very expensive place and the overheads were too much. No one was suggesting I eat guilt free cake though. If I haven't stolen it I don't feel guilty. A cafe with painting/tiny play corner is very different to a space with yoga classes. That is more what I'd expect to go to a community centre or yoga studio for. I think cost of running will be your biggest problem.

There's no way even older children could be unsupervised for ceramic painting or t shirt stencilling. I'd never take a young child to a dessert place, I actively avoided sugar when mine were toddlers.

I like a child free cafe but would be put off by the emphasis on dessert and inevitable sweetness. Would rather have option to give them a healthy-ish tea or lunch

I'd rather shit in my hands and clap sorry.

I’ve been to pottery painting cafes with my kids.
Tbh, we didn’t eat anything. I don’t think food and paint really mix, and they were concentrating on painting, so didn’t want to eat.
I would prefer either a cafe or a craft space rather than a hybrid of both. I prefer a cafe to be somewhere you sit and focus on food and conversation rather than lots of activities.

I have dropped my children off at craft sessions in the school holidays, in places like haberdashery shops. I think they were maybe age 8+ That was great! I don’t want to stay and do it too, or even sit eating cake nearby though. I’m happy to pay about £15 for a session and materials for a lesson led by a teacher.

Dessert parlour - I’ve never been to one. It sounds more sticky and chocolate saucy and sprinkly than just a cafe. Sounds a bit messy - imagining chocolatey hands all over the yoga mats! Not really relaxing for me.

This, exactly

I also very much agree with @mathanxiety , @Honaloulou and others.

"Would I go?" - No

Near us there is a play cafe for under 5s. It's great. They started as a pop up in a church hall and now have a shop on a busy high street.

You book a slot and your kid can play and you can sit on the side and have some really good coffee / food etc.

I used to love the pop up. Especially when I had my second. I'd sometimes arrive at 9 and leave when they closed at 3. Toddler was very happy and I got time with my newborn.

I've not been to their shop as it's further away and my eldest is now too old.

No way would I have taken my toddler to a dessert place. Or somewhere people were making candles or doing yoga.

Toddlers and those things do not go together in my opinion.

I can't square in my head the idea of a dessert parlour & healthy eating.

Are we talking vegan carrot cake or hot fudge sauce.

Do you have yoga teachers/ceramacists/mindfulness coaches on hand?

Good luck with your venture.

Yes, I have a 2 and 3 year old and they love going out for deserts, but for me the USP would need to be healthy deserts. The activities would really appeal in winter - but so would a big indoor space with a few toys to run around in. In summer I'd want to be outside.

I'd say start simple and then build up on the activity front. But somewhere to get healthy deserts - even fruit sundaes dressed up as fruit mountains with chocolate sauce, or healthier pancakes etc would be very appealing for me and them.