Georgina Hearst was vacationing with her family in Seoul, South Korea, when she and her husband stopped at a cafe looking for a place to relax and have a coffee with their kids. Little did they know that it was a play cafe, a place where adults could relax and work while children played.
Impressed by the concept, Hearst brought it with him when he opened in the Jefferson Park neighborhood. sunny village cafe In September. Sunny Village is designed to provide local families with a convenient location where parents can meet other parents and provide a safe and friendly environment for children to play.
“We're like the Chuck E. Cheese of Boogie, a place where adults can be adults and kids can be kids. In our space, kids can have fun while adults can enjoy quality You get food and drink options,” Hurst said.
Most importantly, Hurst added, Sunny Village Cafe is a space where people can come together and find community.
Q&A with Georgina Hirst
You struggled to find community after your son was born. Why is community important to mothers?
“We've become estranged from each other in some ways. Community is what makes everything possible. It's your backup, your network, your support network,” she says. “Especially as a mother, you're going through so many changes, so it's important to have other people in the same boat to share it with.”
Hurst said she witnessed firsthand mothers exchanging numbers in their spaces and making follow-up plans for playdates.
“We’re so excited because that’s what we want, and it’s incredible to see it come to fruition just a month after we opened,” Hurst said.
Speaking of community, how does Sunny Village Cafe support other small businesses?
Sunny Village Cafe serves Perkolator coffee and Delightful Pastries baked goods. Their retail section is stocked with products from Chicago area businesses and they also host storytimes in collaboration with The Catalina Plant Co.
“I now understand the work it takes and the commitment of being a small business owner. We are also a community,” Hurst said. “Working together improves the ecosystem of the entire local community. It strengthens the intimacy of the neighborhood and the idea of community.”
What attracted me to the Play Café concept was the sense of compassion and genuine care that customers receive. How did you recreate that idea at Sunny Village Cafe?
“I'm a mother of young children, so I thought about what I wanted and needed in a place like this,” Hurst says. “We have a dedicated quiet room that can be used to feed the baby or as a resting place for overstimulated children, space for a stroller, an extra stash of diapers and wipes, and a restroom. We also have stools for you to use, and my personal favorite, a “see you later” snack on the way home. ”
Hearst calls these special touches “icing.” This is an extra bit of mindfulness to make the experience as smooth and thoughtful as possible.
Fast Talk with Georgina Hearst
Order coffee to take away
Georgina: I don't drink coffee, but I love freshly brewed cacao latte (it will be available at the cafe this winter!)
Do you have a favorite place to eat out with your family?
Georgina: costco
your personal words
Georgina: These days, it's “better than perfect” and if not, “you can't change the plan if you don't have a plan.”
your secret obsession
Georgina: baja blast and korea
If you could change anything about your life, what would it be?
Georgina: That you have all the time in the world to learn everything you want to learn.
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