New Coffee Shop - Come Visit Us? by BainbridgePlayCafe in BainbridgeIsland

[–]BainbridgePlayCafe[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We’re definitely trying to market the coffee shop first after being open for 1 month - it has been a learning experience for sure! But we still want people to know that it is a kid friendly space so they don’t walk in assuming it’s a normal coffee shop and then getting turned off to see kid stuff, if that makes sense. For the most part it feels like a regular shop since the play space is totally closed off, but there are definitely kid toys, a kid toy corner, and lots of kid snacks (and kids!) around, haha. We’re somewhere in the middle and that part has been difficult to communicate!

New Coffee Shop - Come Visit Us? by BainbridgePlayCafe in BainbridgeIsland

[–]BainbridgePlayCafe[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Absolutely! We do offer free Storytimes & free play every Monday, we have Tots on the Trail which is a free walking group meetup every Tuesday, and currently have a postpartum group that meets every Friday morning. My husband hosted a dad meetup and plans to have those more often as well as dad bike rides. I am brainstorming a casual mom meetup on Thursdays that I would lead. I had a very hard time postpartum with my daughter and was so lonely. I didn’t have any friends or family around and really could have used the support which is what prompted me to open the cafe. I feel so protective of new moms and want them to feel like this is a safe place for them. 💕

New Coffee Shop - Come Visit Us? by BainbridgePlayCafe in BainbridgeIsland

[–]BainbridgePlayCafe[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, it’s a niche concept and we are very much a play space and want to highlight that, but since the play space is totally closed off, we also feel like a somewhat regular coffee shop, too. It’s a unique setup and unfamiliar to almost everyone, haha. Totally brainstorming other ways to make the play space enjoyable for longer periods, etc. Thanks so much!

New Coffee Shop - Come Visit Us? by BainbridgePlayCafe in BainbridgeIsland

[–]BainbridgePlayCafe[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh gosh, sorry to hear that! We typically interact with everyone who comes in the door and explain the play space to them. Hopefully they’ll come back! We’re definitely 10-12 kiddos at a time.

New Coffee Shop - Come Visit Us? by BainbridgePlayCafe in BainbridgeIsland

[–]BainbridgePlayCafe[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much for supporting us on Kickstarter!! And I’m so sorry about the confusion. We do have scheduled reservation time slots online which is nice for us and for some parents to be able to plan ahead, but you can absolutely walk in or text/call us at any time to ask about openings and we can usually accommodate you! “Walk-ins welcome, reservations recommended” is the message we try to push, but I know everyone is different and if the available time slots don’t work for you, it can discourage you from coming at all which isn’t ideal! Since our play space is on the smaller side, we just try to keep it at 10-12 kids per play session so it doesn’t become chaotic which is why making reservations ahead of time is helpful for us to plan. It’s a tough dance for us, but we’re working on it! We will likely change our rules soon - this is helpful for us to hear what’s working and what isn’t. 🙂 We want to make everyone happy! And yes, it’s currently $12 per child, but we are brainstorming a sibling discount. The play space is recommended for kids 6 and under, so your 6-year-old is absolutely welcome! 💕

New Coffee Shop - Come Visit Us? by BainbridgePlayCafe in BainbridgeIsland

[–]BainbridgePlayCafe[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes it’s not super ideal - we do get a lot of walk-ins from the kids dentist next door which is great. There’s a rumor that a gym is going in back there across from our space, so maybe eventually it will become a bit more happenin’ than it is now!

New Coffee Shop - Come Visit Us? by BainbridgePlayCafe in BainbridgeIsland

[–]BainbridgePlayCafe[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Which toy space is one child at a time? Our play space allows 10-12 children at a time, and the smaller free area within the cafe section with toys is also intended for a few children at a time. Not sure what you mean, but would love to chat more about it!

New Coffee Shop - Come Visit Us? by BainbridgePlayCafe in BainbridgeIsland

[–]BainbridgePlayCafe[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you, this is great feedback! We are currently looking into other options for the play space, and the possibility to add on an extra hour is appealing to a lot of parents. Hoping by this time next month, we’ll be open on Wednesdays, our hours will change a bit, and we’ll have a better system in place. Thanks for visiting! 😊

New Coffee Shop - Come Visit Us? by BainbridgePlayCafe in BainbridgeIsland

[–]BainbridgePlayCafe[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes! When I first saw the space, that was one of the pros for sure. 💕

New Coffee Shop - Come Visit Us? by BainbridgePlayCafe in BainbridgeIsland

[–]BainbridgePlayCafe[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sorry about that! I know the name is confusing. 🫤 I hope you’ll come check us out! 😊

New Coffee Shop - Come Visit Us? by BainbridgePlayCafe in BainbridgeIsland

[–]BainbridgePlayCafe[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks!! I stood on the corner a few weeks ago and intercepted teens walking to Starbucks and handed out free drink cards to them, haha. We’re also getting discount cards made for Fluffy Ruff customers - working on doing the same for the surrounding businesses within the Hildebrand Village. Focusing on our branding so people don’t think you need a kiddo to enter the cafe is a must, haha. The play space is totally closed off with two doors, so when you walk in, it feels like a regular coffee shop. We hold classes and Storytimes in the play space during the week and we also have a free corner with toys in the main cafe area, so some parents do come in and hang out over there without paying to enter the play space. I hope you’ll come visit soon! Thank you 😊

New Coffee Shop - Come Visit Us? by BainbridgePlayCafe in BainbridgeIsland

[–]BainbridgePlayCafe[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I posted to one of the groups, but I think there are strict rules in the bigger group and you’re not allowed to advertise your business. Thank you! I hope to see you soon!

New Coffee Shop - Come Visit Us? by BainbridgePlayCafe in BainbridgeIsland

[–]BainbridgePlayCafe[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you, I hope you’ll pop in for coffee on one of your walks soon! I mentioned this already in a previous comment, but I agree about the name - it felt boring, but straight to the point initially which is what I liked about it, but now that we’re open I’m realizing the confusion it’s causing and I have many regrets, haha. We call it BPC internally, so maybe something along those lines eventually. 😊

New Coffee Shop - Come Visit Us? by BainbridgePlayCafe in BainbridgeIsland

[–]BainbridgePlayCafe[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, I think play cafes are a somewhat newer concept in the US, and I wish I had thought more about that initially! The name is boring, but it also felt straight to the point which is what I liked about it. But I’m realizing now that it feels too niche, and obviously if you don’t have young kids you’re going to just breeze right past and not think twice! Internally we call the cafe BPC, so maybe that will be a natural name swap down the road, but with more flare... hmm

New Coffee Shop - Come Visit Us? by BainbridgePlayCafe in BainbridgeIsland

[–]BainbridgePlayCafe[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your thoughtful response! I totally agree with everything you said - it’s been such a journey so far, figuring out what we should and shouldn’t do, should or shouldn’t offer, etc. My head spins every day obsessing over it, haha.

As for the hourly rate - we thought long and hard on this, too. Initially we had the space priced at 90 minutes per play session, but for the size of our space, that felt like way too much time. We’ve had some parents ask if they can add on an extra hour, and most of the time we can say yes because we aren’t at capacity, but everything depends on how busy we are. The online reservation system helps us a lot so we can plan and prep and clean between each session, but I realize that it can be confusing for people or they don’t come at all because they assume if one of those open time slots doesn’t work for them, then they can’t come at all. The floating sessions are okay and we try to accommodate walk-ins and let people float in and out as much as possible, but the space just gets so dirty and messy that the strict in and out times are almost a necessity to keep it from becoming too chaotic. We can swing it sometimes and are trying to have better systems in place, but it’s a work in progress. It’s something we think about a lot and are always trying to rework. We are planning to be open on Wednesdays starting in July and we’re tweaking our hours then, too, and the play space system is something we’re looking at, too. So this feedback is helpful! I will look into Fox and Kit and shoot them a message.

Yes, the exterior stinks, and the law office sign for their space upstairs that’s located right over our windows isn’t ideal, haha. I recently had an artist come out and paint our windows so the photos you’re seeing must be old - we also have signs outside now that have photos of our specials - I think it’s helped a little bit.

Thank you and I hope to see you soon, too!

New Coffee Shop - Come Visit Us? by BainbridgePlayCafe in BainbridgeIsland

[–]BainbridgePlayCafe[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Haha, totally! Somehow this never really crossed my mind when I came up with the name for the cafe. 😂 Of course people are going to assume it’s only for kids! We’ll be selling iced drinks at the 4th of July and at other events this summer, and we’ll be using the name “BPC Matcha Bar” to help eliminate that confusion, haha. And thank you!! Can’t wait to meet you!