It is pretty safe to say that most coffee shops do not cater to children. As a matter of fact, there probably won’t be a kid in sight. That is not true for the Kid Kaf. Adeline Chapron had noticed a trend in her own neighborhood. When she would visit a coffee shop she soon noticed the trend that ran against parents. Many places were not stroller friendly and if the child threw a tantrum, there was a sense of urgency to get out. Sensing that Ottawa needed an alternative for both parent and child, she went out and started her own coffee shop reports The Gazette.
“Here, parents can have their cake and eat it, too.”
Kid Kaf features specialty java, panini and pastries, as well as healthy snacks for kids, along with a separate and secure play space for babies and children up to five years of age.
Parents and caregivers can sit at nearby tables and sip coffee as they watch their kids on the play structures (for a $3.99 admission fee), or simply relax in the adult lounge, which offers the feel of a cafe mixed with a daycare setting, with high ceilings, bright fluorescent lights, funky art on the walls and a couch. Colourful play areas punctuate the store space, with a variety of toys to occupy busy toddlers and preschoolers.
And she’s been delighted with the response from her customers. “People love it — they keep coming back.”
Marketing has been a challenge, but word of mouth has been very effective. Now, Chapron has customers asking regularly when she plans to open other locations.
Franchising is something she would ultimately like to do, but for now, as she strives to gain footing, she plans to keep growing her business by building an active parenting community base from Kid Kaf: hosting birthday parties and play dates, renting space to businesses, featuring parenting workshops and events and even creating a “Mompreneur” group.
Photo from Kid Kaf