Does your play centre cater for everyone?

Whether you operate an open cafeteria for visitors, or provide catering on a larger scale for children’s parties, a successful catering operation can be a profitable revenue stream for the business and drive more new and repeat custom. We take a closer look at current industry trends to find out what the paying customers- parents and carers- are really looking for.

Whilst the soft play area is very much the children’s domain, the cafeteria is likely to be where parents will spend most of their visit- and money. With this in mind, it’s important to consider the experience from their perspective, and identify where you could be missing the mark.

The ‘Kindercafe’ movement began in Berlin around seven years ago, and set out to address the gap in the market for a suitable play venue that also offered good quality food and drink. Parents found that the two rarely went hand-in-hand, having traded in sociable gatherings in trendy coffee shops for toddler tantrums and tepid vended beverages.

The movement quickly caught on in the UK, with more soft play operators placing a focus on the quality of their catering. Good coffee, fresh food, cleanliness and comfort rank high amongst the vital list of considerations for parents, alongside the all-important offering of healthy options for children.

Source: State of the Nation Data Report 2016, Children’s Food Trust

We’ve seen a number of our clients changing and experimenting with their menus to introduce healthy homemade options for children and parents alike. A term we love here at Johnson Reed is ‘sweat the asset’, in other words, to get as much as possible out of what you already have. Your soft play centre has more earning potential than the admission fees, and by diversifying your menu and offering fresh and tasty food, you could generate multiple revenue streams and ultimately run a more profitable trade.

If we can help you acquire new equipment or improve your catering facility, give us a call on 0161 429 6949. Just like we can secure finance for your soft play equipment, catering and full fit outs are no problem!