Taking over a Play cafe..

[Charlottedanielle]

Hello. I currently work at a play cafe in Epsom. I've only been there a few months. But it's not as busy as the owner wood have liked. He is thinking about closing, but I don't want to give up just yet. Due to that, there's a chance I could take over the cafe. I have so many ideas, and a bunch of good friends behind me who have said they will help the "new set up".

The current owner isn't big on running classes, or publicising anything properly.

I would run several classes each day throughout the week: sing and sign classes, little cooks cooking classes, rhyme time, story time, face painting, arts and crafts, baby imprinting, and then maybe for holidays, have a photographer come on and take holiday themes photos for family's at a low price. Apart from the photography, everything else would be £3 per child. Do you think that's too much?

What would you want from a small play cafe?

By posting on here and asking what you guys want, is me doing my research. I am writing down everything that is said and taking everything into consideration. I know Once upon a time is a massive competitor, but they are a soft play, that charges to get in..we aren't. Once I have things sorted and ready to go, there will be a website, Facebook, twitter etc and there will be loyalty cards, and promotions like the ones mentioned. This thread is purely to find out what mums/parents would want..so I can accommodate the best I physically and financially can. I'm passionate about this, and really want it to work, I've got the money side of things sorted and know how much things are and what I need to make etc. you, the mums, are going to be a massive help in all of this. Your opinions are really helping, and I can't thank you enough x

I can't set up at a different venue. The owner of where we are now does live comedy and music buffets at the weekend in the evening. Because that's taken off so well he doesn't have time to put as much care and thought into the play cafe as he'd like, and has asked if I would like to take it over, almost like a franchise..it's hard to explain! But I'd have free run to do what is like. Change the menus, do classes etc. trust me, if I had the money myself, I'd set up my own soft play, play scheme. X

Nowhere near you sorry but fab idea. Things I appreciate are:

• If you do main meals then good home cooked food more important than variety: you could always advertise the week's menu in advance i.e. Monday mac cheese, Tues Spag Bol, Wed Fish Pie etc - I am imagining things you can make in a big batch and freeze/fridge easily and serve in baby/kids/grown up portions as you would at home without much waste. Then do toast/toasties and easy things alongside. Cheap all day Toast may be a hit if you price it right
• Available in a variety of portion sizes - my LO is only just being weaned so I don't really want to buy a full kids portion when her capacity is about 2 dessert spoonfuls, but would happily pay a quid for a little helping of something
• As others have said.. Homemade cakes mmmm .. Really good coffee ? table service .. buggy space .. secure access so LO's can't leg it onto the street
• advertise - great points about website, Facebook etc from a prev poster
• any parks nearby? If so, do they run buggy fit/pram fit? If so try and link up so you are the start/end point for the group and offer e.g. 50p off a hot drink. Consider fresh fruit and maybe kiddie friendly organix crisps if you are trying to appeal to the healthy crew (although if they are like me they will probably have cake after 'earning' it)

Good Luck

I've got the money side of things sorted and know how much things are and what I need to make etc.

That's put my mind at rest OP I'm glad your project is financially viable and sound.

Considering the softplay upstairs, why do people come to you? They come for a reason, popping in for a break whilst shopping perhaps?

Targeting parents who go to the soft play isn't going to work in my view, you need to target those who don't want the soft play, but what is it that they are wanting? Are they after more of a restaurant?

I agree that having the softplay upstairs doesn't mean that your cafe isn't viable, not at all. Sometimes the kids get fed up of going to softplay and it does get expensive, whereas if you can go to a cafe with a play area it's cheaper and something different. Especially if there are various arty crafty or other sessions on offer too.

IF you can make your cafe better than the other one, you might also get people going to softplay then coming to you for lunch before going home.

OK - going back to your OP and what you actually asked

£3 for a 'making' session (art or cooking) where they can be left while I drink coffee - fine. But you need to check out the insurance/H&S etc of doing this if you haven't already.

£3 - too expensive for Face Painting. £1.50 is fine.

£3 for Rhyme time, story time etc NO. I'd go at those times and buy drinks/food etc but I wouldn't pay for them, we can do them for free at the library.

Having a photographer set up to do shots 'on occasions' would be fine, but I wouldn't want someone wandering around, taking photos, then bugging me to buy them.

[Can I ask, who have you spoken to about the financial side of things? You sound really young (I could be wrong though!) and I'd hate for you to be taken advantage of or end up in debt over it. Feel free to tell me to bog-off!]

I only know of two play cafes near me and both of them charge for the kids to play (and seem to get away with it too!). Maybe depends on the market but have you thought about charging even a nominal amount per child (say £2) and then allowing this charge as a credit against any food or drink bought?

For the activities things, I would look at groups that already run like tumble tots or whatever. Surely you could charge those groups rent for your space rather than paying too run them yourself (or you could do both). You could undercut whomever they are renting space from now since you're not making a profit from the space but wanting footfall in the café.

P.s. It sounds ace - wish there was one near me!

Food: I'm vegan so Id love it if you had one sweet and one savoury that was vegan as well as vegan drinks. This would also cover the dairy or egg free crowd. I think it would be perfectly reasonable for you not to allow consumption of own food (once child older than spoon fed mush) as long as you can provide suitable snacks at an OK price.

Information: I'm a pretty anxious person so I'd love your website to have clear pictures of play area and online menu so I can check I'd there is anything vegan or anything dd would eat. Would also be good if "rules" were on website eg play is free, parents must supervise.

Obviously you should have a full listing of classes/prices/times/age suitability/book in advance or turn up...

Cleanliness is really important. table need to be properly cleaned and not sticky, and high chairs should be spotlessly clean and able to eat off.

Toilets need to be spotless too and regularly checked. Paper towels not hand dryers and if you could manage those dual toddler/adult seats that would be great.

consider approaching NCT and offering it as a venue for evening Antenatal courses and reunions, then the new Mums will know about your cafe and use it when there babies are born.

Sounds fab! All the best

Can I suggest having a look at "Mummas and Beans" in Godalming. I've heard so many good things about that place, I'm sure they have some ideas you could use!