A new business aiming to bring families together is nearly ready to open in southwest Michigan.
The Little Things Play Café is set to host ribbon cutting ceremony with the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber and Think Tank Marketing this Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. The café, located at 1332 Hilltop Rd. Suite 1 in St. Joseph, will offer guests a sneak peek at their Montessori-inspired play area for the kids and coffee lounge for parents and caregivers.
Owners Brittany and Erik Webb, who moved to Berrien Springs from Chicago in 2017, told Moody On The Market they wanted to see the play café concept – which is common in cities like Chicago, come to southwest Michigan.
“The idea came on a day when I was sitting at home with my best friend,” said Brittany Webb. “The concept is not a novel idea. There are play cafes in urban areas. But we thought that Southwest Michigan needed the same amenities that larger cities offer, especially since people are moving out of the cities to areas like ours.”
During the ribbon cutting event, visitors will get to see a sneak peek of the space, get full details for open play and purchase discounted gift cards before the business officially opens the weekend of Nov. 5.
“Britt and Erik understand first-hand how isolating parenting the last few years have been, especially for those with younger children,” said Arthur Havlicek, President and CEO of the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber. “Their mission and model for The Little Things Play Café provides an opportunity for connection for not only the adults, but children too as we enter the winter months with less outdoor activities being available.”
The Little Things Play Café is also offering annual membership benefit and packages for area companies to offer their employees. They are hoping this will give businesses some added incentives in their efforts to recruit talent to the area.
“The core of these memberships and packages are to show the talent pool looking at our area that we are a strong community that cares about life outside work,” Brittany said. “That it’s not just about the time spent from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. One of the great things about our locally based companies is they understand that having a strong support system for families outside of work creates a better work-life balance, and that creates more satisfaction on the job.”
Open Play pricing is $14 per child which covers one free adult per child and an hour and 45-minute time frame, with start times happening every two hours. While reservations for drop-in play is not required, it is encouraged to book via the website at TheLittleThingsPlayCafe.com.
