Thinking about opening a play cafe? Play Cafes are one of the latest trends, providing a safe space for parents or carers to sit and have a cup of coffee and something to eat while their little ones go and play. It can be difficult to find a safe area for you to go and do this where your child will be amused, but you can also sit and have a bit of a break. Soft play can be great, but (particularly when your children are really little) you end up having to clamber around with them and can lose sight of them quickly.
With a play cafe, they can be right near you, having a great time in a secure and safe environment. It offers the chance for you to meet other parents, and your child to socialize with other kids. If you are looking to open a play cafe, you’re in the right time to do so when they’re super popular. There is a lot of work that goes into this, but it’s well worth it when you do it, and can be a fantastic business venture.
What is a play cafe?
A play cafe tends to be a cafe with dedicated areas for children to play in. This might have soft play equipment, slides and other toys for them to sit and immerse themselves in. It might have an outside area (if so, be sure to make it safe with playground safety surfacing) and will have designated tables for parents to sit and have a coffee and a bite to eat. They tend to be extra secure so when the children are playing they can’t get out and escape and parents have peace of mind they’re having a good time while also not able to get into any trouble.
What are the benefits to opening a play cafe?
According to Allied Market Research, The UK family/indoor entertainment centers market size was valued at $857.64 million in 2021, and is projected to reach $2,723.37 million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 12.6% from 2022 to 2031. This shows just why it’s such a fantastic time to open a family play cafe. Areas which are designed for kids and their guardians or parents alike are a brilliant market to tap into. Some of the benefits of opening a play cafe include:
1. You can make more sales
When you compare a play cafe to a normal cafe, people tend to stay for longer. This can mean they will make more food and beverage sales, eating and drinking more and potentially staying for meals or coming for brunch too.
2. You have a good niche to tap into
Sometimes businesses struggle when they don’t have a real niche or customer base. With a play cafe, you know exactly who you are trying to target and how you can really tailor your offerings to them. This can really help you make more money and establish a solid community.
3. It works all year round
Parents are always looking for ways to keep their little ones entertained, no matter the time of year. This sort of cafe is something that they will love no matter if it’s winter or summer. It’s somewhere they can pop to on the way back from the beach in the warmer months, or use to escape the rain and cold in the winter.
4. It’s a business with plenty of opportunities to grow
This is a business that when you bring money in, can grow and grow. You could end up franchising out and getting other branches, or expanding on the existing one you have, adding more equipment, better places to play and running events. It’s limitless with what you can achieve.
What are some top tips for opening a play cafe?
When you open a play cafe, you want to do what you can in order to make it a success. There are a myriad of different options and things to do and as long as you are prepared, have a solid plan and know what you want to achieve, you can make it work really well. Some top tips for opening a play cafe include:
Consider the location
The first thing you need to think about when you are opening a play cafe, is the location of it. You want to find a building with plenty of space, where you can add in chairs, tables and play equipment. You don’t want somewhere too small where you won’t be able to add to it in the future and you want to ensure there’s more than enough space to grow. You also want to think about it being somewhere which has good foot traffic, so you can entice those walking by as well as people who would drive to come and visit you. This can help you to bring in more revenue. Think about things like whether there is sufficient parking for parents, or if there are good public transport routes nearby.
Think about the costs involved
There’s no beating around the bush, opening a play cafe is expensive. Before you do it, you need to make sure that there is enough money in your account to cover all the costs you might expect, as well as an emergency stash to cover the things you might not have thought about. You will need to factor in everything from the building rent costs, to heating, electricity and water as well as council tax or similar payments. You will also need to pay for the equipment to kit out the place, decor, signs for the walls, your marketing and food and drink. Will you need to hire staff? If so, this is another cost you will need to factor in. By being prepared you won’t have to worry so much about it falling through and not being able to afford it.
Decide how much you want to charge
When you run a play cafe you need to consider what you will charge people. You want it to be affordable enough that people aren’t put off and want to come in, but also not so cheap that you end up making a loss. You could consider doing different prices for off-peak and on-peak sessions, so weekends and school holidays might be more expensive, or selling blocks of bookings at a discount to help families and also give you a solid chunk of income in one go. You might also have different prices depending on the ages of the kids.
Provide a good range of food
Food is another important aspect of your cafe and one that can be a real game changer. Focus on things such as local ingredients, high-quality food and a good range of healthy items for children. You could make up healthy lunch boxes for them to eat, as well as provide things like cakes, pastries and breakfast or brunch items. Fruit, boxes of raisins and rice cakes are all popular and you could provide things like pouches or tins of baby food for those that come in with really little ones that might need feeding.
Think about what you can offer
As well as offering the play sessions with toys and soft play, you could also consider what else you can offer to your customers. There are a myriad of things that you could do, including renting out the space privately, throwing birthday parties, or doing events such as toddler song time, or parent meet-ups. It’s these things that might not seem like a big deal, but when you offer them to your customers can really make a big difference and set you apart. They can also be good for bringing in additional revenue aside from just the food and drink and playtime offerings.
Think about your marketing
Marketing is one of the most important parts of your business and is what will help get you seen by those that matter most. Ensure you create a great website that really sells you, and have fantastic photography as part of this. The photos you have will really sell you to your customers, showing them what to expect and making them excited to visit you. You should either do the SEO for your site yourself, or get a professional to do it for you and this can really make all the difference. You should also focus on your social media as this can be a great way for you to connect with customers too.
These are just a few top tips for opening a play cafe that ensure you make a success out of it. Play cafes are a fantastic business model that enable you to reach families and kids, giving them a relaxing place to spend time, get out of the house and meet others in the same situation. What are some top tips you have for opening a play cafe? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you!
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