Cafe O' Play - Catchy Name But What is it?

We've got the scoop on a new business going in on Blakely where All for Kids bookstore used to be. The catchy name, Cafe O' Play, caught one of our staffers eyes every time he drove by it.

We thought with that clever name maybe it will have to do something with kids playing as well as some eating involved? Well we were pretty right on.

The mission according to Tom Zeiler, the person behind this new start-up, is "to be the premier family-friendly third place community gathering spot in the greater Seattle area."

Tom is a Wedgwood resident and dad to a 6 year old and says, "this is a one-guy-with-a-little-bit-of-capital type show."

About the name, Tom said "friends and family kicked ideas around for about a month, but nothing seemed right. Then I came up with "Cafe O' Play"; I was sort of dubious -- too cutesy/punny? Well, my wife loved it, and so did pretty much everybody else we ran it by.

The thing I like about the name is that it does a good job of hinting at the aim of providing something for everybody (when I got the lease on the All for Kids site, I half-jokingly told my wife that I was considering "All for Kids and Adults" as a sub-title on the web page)."

Tom told us he got the idea of Cafe O' Play as he personally missed having a "community hangout" since his days spent at a place called Poor Richards Feed & Read in Colorado Springs. He said, "here in Seattle we have the ghosts of The Last Exit, Sit-n-Spin, The Speakeasy ...)"

Tom said when he had his daughter six years ago, he couldn't find very many "easy or just right places in this area to go with her when it was rainy/cold/hot/dark/whatever. The Restaurant experience was not much."

So he quit his teaching job last year (of 8 years) to pursue his vision.

Tom has great plans for the large new space where the beloved bookstore used to be. He told us, "sad it's gone, but glad the new use can have a connection to that."

Tom plans to open this fall and let us in on some of his plans and thinking and even some graphics of what it will look like inside.

Cafe O' Play will offer:
• delicious beverages, snacks, and light meals
• large play space for children up to about 10 years of age
• amusement area for older children and adults
• multi-purpose room for birthday parties, club gatherings, and entrepreneurial use
• free wireless internet access

"The large, fee-based play area will offer children up to about 10 years of age a wide range of opportunities for physical, creative, and imaginative play," Tom says. "It will also be a great location to celebrate a 50th anniversary or a 3rd birthday.

We are a place a child will beg to go to, but also a place where an adult can relax and enjoy a beer. Our facility will make an excellent gathering spot for a wide variety of clubs and organizations as well."

His plan is to leave the Signature Room - cum - Multi-Purpose Room pretty much as is with the artists signatures and drawings all over the walls. Remember it used to be where the storytimes were held as well as author appearances? Check out the photo below.

He said "It's not going to be a swanky place, but definitely clean and safe, and with its own funky charm.

The menu will be pretty simple; not really aiming to be a restaurant per se, and we don't have the budget for a full-on kitchen anyway. However, the aim is to have an interesting menu not really quite like anything around, with family-friendly selections and very reasonable prices."

All is in the beginning planning stages, but Tom has told us, "the play area is going to be fee-based (has to be for the plan to be viable) -- something like $5.75 for the first child, $4 for the second, $3.25 for the third (lather, rinse, repeat - $5.75 for fourth, $4 for fifth, etc.) -- good for 24hrs, just hang on to receipt."

Tom is also going to "offer attractively priced weekly, monthly, and yearly passes, as well as something like $1 off per $5 food/beverage."

As far as check-in and parents keeping an eye on their kids Tom says, "at least initially I will not be staffing for Ikea-style check-in supervision -- for each child entered into the play area an adult will need to sign that they will remain on the premesis and be responsible for monitoring their charge(s).

Individuals might be able to use the facility for short-term drop-off babysitting via an informal pool of available stay-at-home moms, college students. May also offer supervised care via advance notice."

We look forward to the opening of this innovative new business in our area. Congratulations Tom on your new endeavor!

For more information Tom can be reached at info@cafeoplay.net.

Check out the pictures and graphics Tom has graciously sent us.


Signatures

Climber

Building Front

A work in progress

Graphic of "whizz bang loft and play structure"

Floor plan