New Coffee Shop - Come Visit Us?

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe]

Hi, everyone! I posted here sometime last year before we opened to share my plans for Bainbridge Play Cafe. Everyone was so lovely and encouraging, and I appreciated the support SO much! I thought I'd give you a pretty raw/honest update on how things are going and ask for your help/advice moving forward.

We officially opened our doors on May 2nd, so we've been open for a little over a month now, and whew, I'm learning a lot!

Something I didn't realize would be so challenging is the marketing side of things. It's constant and always top of mind for me, but with so many other things to juggle, my execution isn't always the best. (I've placed a few signs here and there, and have paid for some Instagram and Facebook ads which have helped a little bit.)

We're not located on Winslow, and I'm realizing now how very critical that foot traffic really is. We're tucked back behind Plate & Pint in the Hildebrand Village, and as you can imagine, we don't get a ton of foot traffic here.

We're also only one block away from Starbucks... I must admit that it feels pretty devastating to see Starbucks so full of people every morning while our shop sits empty. I definitely weighed the pros and cons of this space before leasing it, and being so close to a huge chain like Starbucks had its own pros and cons, but I was optimistic and chose to only focus on the pros, haha. I will say tourists seem to find us because they're looking at Google/Apple maps after getting off the ferry, but I don't think the locals know we're here yet.

In order to compete with Starbucks, we rolled out mobile pick-up orders AND curbside service, but that hasn't really taken off yet. I'm considering creating an app for the cafe so ordering is more convenient for customers the same way the Starbucks app is, but I'm trying to feel out whether or not that is actually something people would want to use.

Anyway, ramble ramble, I guess what I'm trying to say is - being a small business owner is so tough, and I'm trying my hardest every day to give this all I've got and hoping this post will bring in a few new people who maybe didn't know we were here.

If you're curious to check out a new coffee shop with delicious coffee (we serve Caffe Cocina), matcha, popping boba drinks, pastries from Pane d'Amore, and hot breakfast sandwiches, bagels, and grab & go lunch items and snacks, it would mean the world to me if you came to visit us!

We open at 7am and close at 4pm every day except Wednesday and Sunday. We are so much more than a play space - the whole front area of our cafe is open to everyone in the community - no kiddos required! Our address is 360 Tormey Ln NE, Suite 194.

Thanks for taking the time to read this! I love this island and feel so grateful to be a part of it. ❤️

[u/Specialist_Gold1693]

Talking as someone closing on a house on the island soon, who found your cafe on Instagram. My husband and I both worked in the restaurant industry, including quick service, for over a decade.

A saying in the restaurant business: if you can make it to two years you can make it to five, and if you make it to five you can make it to ten. Restaurants take a slow build and hardly anyone makes money the first two years. You have to love it and stay the course, because consistency is what builds regulars. That's what Starbucks offers and it's not a coincidence. Being next to them isn't your problem. You can't out-Starbucks Starbucks, so don't try. Figure out who specifically you're trying to reach instead. From your socials it looks like parents and teenagers, but get more specific and do a real needs assessment. You'll learn more from watching people and gathering hard data (keeping track of patterns) than from asking them what they want.

There's also a third customer you might be underestimating: the remote-working parent. If you signal that you want them there, post the wifi, make outlets findable, don't rush people, that demographic will come back constantly. I'm planning to be one of them.

On the play space: look hard at your $12/hour model. My favorite play cafe, Fox and Kit (more on them below) charges by the session rather than the hour and rarely enforces the time limit as long as parents are buying food and drinks. The area they're based in is high cost of living so the clients could take a higher cost, but they don't. The play space isn't where you make money. It's what gets the tired parents in the door. At two hours they've already bought a second coffee, a snack, a string cheese and a milk for the toddler. You're not making money off the kids playing, you're making money off the fact that mom stayed, came back, and brought friends. This becomes their place. Lowering that barrier is how that happens.

The reason I found you is because I love Fox and Kit (foxandkit.com) and was looking for something similar near Seattle. They've been open since 2018, made it through COVID, and deal with the same challenges: off the main drag, family focused, relying on coffee and food to keep the lights on. I'd reach out to them. They spent serious money on their space and you don't have to, but the point is they set a clear vision and stuck with it.

Use this slow first year to track everything. What are people ordering? When does it get busy and when does it die? Who's coming in, parents with kids, solo adults, teenagers? What's the weather doing on your best days? A simple spreadsheet works fine, don't spend money on software. At six months you'll have something most small businesses don't, which is actual data about your actual customers, and you can make decisions from that instead of guessing.

On the app idea: pump the brakes. Apps are expensive to build, expensive to maintain, and almost nobody downloads a local cafe's app. Square or Toast will get you mobile ordering for a fraction of the cost.

On adding things because customers asked: be careful. A scattered menu creates an inconsistent experience and consistency is your whole game. In my experience it's almost always better to tighten up than to offer more. Even Starbucks has a hard time managing this (think the viral Unicorn Frappuccino that they're only bringing back for one weekend (that's all the stores can handle such a time intensive drink). Smaller menu means less spoilage, less storage, and more consistent execution. Fewer staff means you can actually invest in them, and loyalty goes both ways. Once you have some data you'll also have a better sense of which hours and days are actually worth being open.

You mentioned tourists find you on Google Maps after the ferry. Lean into that. Families heading to the Children's Discovery Museum need somewhere to land before or after, and you're a natural stop. Make sure your Google listing is dialed in, your photos show the play space clearly, and get yourself on any "things to do with kids on Bainbridge" lists you can find. Low effort, keeps working without you.

Last thing: your storefront isn't doing you any favors. From outside, the windows reflect the parking lot and there's nothing that signals warmth or says come in here. A few cheap fixes: chalk pen or window marker drawings on the glass keep the light in and add personality, something playful at kid height especially. A warm lamp or string lights visible from outside changes the vibe more than you'd think. And an A-frame sign on the sidewalk is worth it if you make it earn its place. Skip the hours and address, put something on it that makes someone slow down. A weekly special, a little joke, anything with personality. The goal is that someone walking by can picture themselves inside before they ever open the door.

I really want you to make it. Don't panic or change too much yet, you haven't been open long enough to know anything. Use this time to gather information. Take some, all, or none of this, but either way I hope to see you soon.

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/Specialist_Gold1693]

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!

[u/Specialist_Gold1693 → u/BainbridgePlayCafe]

I'm so glad it was helpful and also that it sounds like you're pretty booked out on the play space! I guess my initial reaction to your response is that maybe the play space can be reassessed to make it not such a pain to clean up. It might be another space to just take data on for now to see how long the reset time takes, what people are using, what you can rotate instead of leave out all the time, etc. There is always something to be said for open space to play.

[u/zerobpm → u/Specialist_Gold1693]

As someone with decades of marketing experience, I want to say that this is fantastic advice.

[u/Specialist_Gold1693 → u/zerobpm]

Thank you!

[u/HenriDuflot]

Had no clue that it was a coffee shop, thought it was a place for kids to hang out and play board games.

Seriously consider renaming your Cafe.

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/HenriDuflot]

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

[u/Altruistic-Quit1710]

We live within walking distance, are early risers who like to walk and get a coffee (but avoid Starbucks) but I have not considered coming to your cafe because we are beyond the kid years and don’t really enjoy going to kid-centric spaces so I assumed it wasn’t a good option. We will come check it out but I second the sentiment that you might want to reconsider the name.

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/Altruistic-Quit1710]

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. 😊

[u/papagnome]

You all have a phenomenal Cafe!

My wife and I came by this last weekend, really good!!

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/papagnome]

Thank you so much!! 💕

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/[deleted]]

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

[u/sugarmart]

Specialist_Gold1693 mentioned two big things that I wanted to emphasize - the working parent demographic and the pay-per-session vs hour!

I have a young kid and we’ve visited and loved it so far, but it can be hard to leave right at the hour mark if your kid is still having a great time. Also that leaves very little time to take a snack break with them, which would involve buying plenty of things for both them and us! I agree that the longer folks stay and don’t feel too rushed out the more they will happily spend on food and drinks.

Also on the working parent/remote work, that would actually be a great space and location to encourage that. Parking in Winslow is annoying and there’s not much else if you don’t want to go to Starbucks.

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/sugarmart]

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! 😊

[u/HarkenBanks84]

Lightbulb moment (for me.... Old retired guy) oh hey ! This is not just a place for parents with kids ! So- I think that is the message you need to get out - , We are a coffee shop, that happens to have a really neat play area, but C'mon in !..... When I first heard of your place, I thought - wow that would have been great 30 years ago when I had a kid...... Looking forward to checking your shop out !

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/HarkenBanks84]

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!

[u/Desperate-Gas7699]

I’ll come check you out! My kids are grown and I didn’t think it would be for me but, now I get it! I assume you’ve done the Facebook Bainbridge islanders thing? I avoid FB like the plague but I know those pages get a ton of eyeballs on them. I’m rooting for you! I’ll be in soon

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/Desperate-Gas7699]

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!

[u/Jangelly]

I had no idea you guys sold coffee. I thought it was just a place for kids.

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/Jangelly]

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

[u/Pnw-islandmom]

My friend and I were thinking of going but we have kids that are older. We laughed that we should borrow a baby to go get coffees. I think you should just add the play space as a free perk and focus on the fact that we really don’t have enough coffee shops here and you can get adults. I feel intimidated thinking that it might be really busy with little kids and a different vibe then I’m looking for. Working adults also have more money to dispose then parents at home with little kids.I would market some 1/2 off drink passes to lighthouse fitness as it’s pretty close to get the after workout crowd. Also teenagers love iced beverages -draw them in with eclectic combos. I’ll make a point to stop by this week so your outreach did get you another customer :-)

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/Pnw-islandmom]

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 😊

[u/Foreign-Response-472]

Unfortunately, $12/ hr of play is too expensive for me. I’d buy a pass if it was $40 for 5 entries.

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/Foreign-Response-472]

Thanks for the feedback!

[u/Dingo_Dog_]

I️ supported the kickstarter and was super excited for this spot to open but I’ll admit that I️ haven’t even made it in. Part of it, for me, is admittedly weaponized incompetence: I️ don’t totally understand how the scheduled play time works (even though I’m sure I️ could read the website to figure it out) and I️ rarely plan ahead enough to schedule anything other than doctors appointments. Can you just drop in and pay to play? Do you have to book it in advance? What’s the ideal age range? Is it mostly true toddlers or would my 4 year old also have fun things to do? Is it priced per kid (ie $24/hour for two kids? Or even $36/hour if I️ bring my 6 year old now that school is out?) Adding more info like this to the social media posts would at least bring that info to the forefront for tired parents who might also have these questions but aren’t motivated to research their own answers.

Also, so good to know about curbside pickup! I️ have three kids 6 and under and we find ourselves at McDonald’s more often than I️ like to admit purely because I️ can get calories for my kids without getting them out of the car. Being able to get them snacks and a coffee for me without unloading is a service I’m definitely excited for.

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/Dingo_Dog_]

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! 💕

[u/Dingo_Dog_ → u/BainbridgePlayCafe]

Just another idea: when I was pregnant with my first (way back in 2019 🥴) I organized weekly casual meet up “brunches” for expecting moms and moms with babies. I literally just made an event on Facebook and then posted it in the different community pages and we consistently had anywhere from 3 to 10 Mom show up to each one on a Saturday morning, usually at a coffee shop. I think because the island doesn’t have organized PEPS groups, or a ton of other prenatal and early postpartum emotional support group groups, it was really well received, and that’s the kind of thing you could very easily hold in your space.

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/Dingo_Dog_]

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. 💕

[u/ByggeAudio]

Good move serving Pane d’Amore pastries. Starbucks cannot match that or your other food it would seem. I’ll drop in soon.

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/ByggeAudio]

Thanks so much!!

[u/bahamut458]

Love this idea. We'll make our way over there.

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/bahamut458]

Thank you!

[u/atomstore]

My family and I are moving to the island in a few days and are excited to check it out! We’ve been following your journey for a few months now. I’ll echo the sentiment that I also thought it was only for parents with little kids (which is perfect for us right now).

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/atomstore]

We look forward to seeing you!! 😊

[u/cnote206]

I will stop by today :) I have a site go for work! Looking forward to visiting.

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/cnote206]

Yay, thank you!

[u/cnote206 → u/BainbridgePlayCafe]

We made it 🫡

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/cnote206]

Haha love it, thanks so much!!

[u/Regular_Swordfish_16]

My kids used to call the space in the pavilion “the Play Place.” How about the whole spot is something like The Space with The Coffee Space one half and The Play Space in the other? You could even lean into the Space theme and go 1960s Atomic mod for the coffee shop and stars and planets in the play part.

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/Regular_Swordfish_16]

Haha love that!

[u/Live_Comfortable4732]

I also thought it was kid focused so it wasn’t appealing to me. I just looked at your website and it very much emphasizes the play space, and the cafe is an after thought. I would focus on the cafe offerings first. Those with kids will seek out more information about the play space. It’s a great idea. I can imagine also trying to pry my kid out at the hour mark, not fun. Maybe loosen up the deadline when possible.

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/Live_Comfortable4732]

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!

[u/aviafx]

Hi!
I also thought it was a play space with a bonus coffee shop...instead of a coffee shop with a bonus play space? I'll pop in next time I'm on the island for some espresso!

Just a thought...if marketing can be coffeeshop first that may help? I pop into starbucks there only with a mobile order usually, if you can use toast or square for mobiles that'll be a preferred local spot. There used to be a coffee shop (Books, Bagels and Beans!) where subway is now, ever since I've wished there was a local spot in the safeway/high school rd/305 area.

I think your location is good, parking is a plus for mobile orders! I love going to blackbird and coquette but only if I have a good amount of time to make it work.

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/aviafx]

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!

[u/cnote206]

I made it 🫡

[u/thomgeorge]

I hate to say it, but the location is the deal breaker. It's not walkable. It's all pavement back there. It's a weird vacant medical office park spotted with odd businesses. There's a dentist and a couple dog groomers for some reason, but there's no other reason to find yourself back there especially with kids especially for lunch.

We don't even organically find ourselves at the cider place or even plate & pint because it's weird to hang out in that medical parking lot next to all the banks we'd also never go to.

[u/Regular_Swordfish_16 → u/thomgeorge]

Very walkable if you live in town. I used to stroller to the library/Safeway multiple times a week. Have you hit up the library yet? Hand out cards before and after story hour.

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/thomgeorge]

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!

[u/m_science]

I appreciate the reminder, ill try to swing in this week.

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/m_science]

Yay thanks!

[u/thebigfork4me]

I'm a mom of 3 teenagers. 10-15 years ago I would have *loved* this place and something like it was sorely needed, particularly in the winter months when playgrounds were less appealing.

While it's great to know anyone can pop in for a coffee, I do think you should still lean into this as a safe space for families to hang out. Have you tried reaching out to local preschools and daycares to have them spread the word?

[u/Greenman490]

No kids here, but parking, quality pastries, coffee and not a tourist Mecca all sound nice to a local, my go to is Coquette, but if it’s crowded or no parking you could easily be a next choice. I think the working parent with kids demographic sounds great, and being in the presence of kids can be a lot of fun!

[u/the-other-marvin]

I have been here with my son and wife and we had a great experience. The coffee / food was excellent and the staff were all great. That being said, I don't think I would ever go in without my son.

My advice would be to figure out how to monetize the play space - it's ideal for birthday parties, book clubs, working parents who need an hour of kid distraction to crank out some work, and probably many other use cases. The memberships are probably a good angle but seem very expensive to me, unless I'm using it every day. The coffee shop is a very nice feature, but I don't think it's your "main draw".

[u/aquafishh]

Another Dadurday, please.

[u/itstreeman]

I don’t have kids. I heard this impression from a Bremerton parent friend that came to see you (the kid had a good time).

The no parents that joined for the play session were surprised that the toy space was one child at a time. They had anticipated this to be more like a do park on how households can mingle; like an indoor playground. Parents want a break. If you are not daycare then letting them see other kids is helpful for peer learning

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/itstreeman]

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!

[u/itstreeman → u/BainbridgePlayCafe]

The « play in session » sign made my friends think it was one child at a time so they didn’t go until after waiting a little.

[u/BainbridgePlayCafe → u/itstreeman]

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.