What venue features makes you want to bring your kid? (1 Viewer)

[cosjobs]

We're looking in to developing a restaurant/bar/food court/truck concept on a property adjacent to the city park.

I will have food trucks serving things like snow cones, cupcakes, ice cream, as well as usual food truck fare.

The back of the property overlooks a small lake. That's where I'd have a permanent food service and full bar with lots of decks looking over the water.

I'd like to add some features other than the sugary food trucks that would entice parents to come bring the kids to visit while dad hangs out at the bar. Is that McDonalds play room concept still popular? What's fun, but not a huge insurance risk?

 

[Jules Winnfield]

Fresh squeezed juice

 

[cosjobs]

Fresh squeezed juice

Thanks. Do you think a truck devoted to fruit and other healthy-perceived stuff would be a magnet? Is frozen yogurt considered healthy? What foods would you like to see? On the other side of the property is an organic farm. We could offer things outside the standard junk food fare.... but would it be an attraction?>

What about stuff they can play on/with?

 

[RUSF18]

Those Gymboree/My Gym things are very popular. Areas for crafts, music for kids to sing/dance along to...outside of a massive playground I'm not sure what else there could be.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

Fresh squeezed juice

Thanks. Do you think a truck devoted to fruit and other healthy-perceived stuff would be a magnet? Is frozen yogurt considered healthy? What foods would you like to see? On the other side of the property is an organic farm. We could offer things outside the standard junk food fare.... but would it be an attraction?>

What about stuff they can play on/with?

Organic farm plus juice truck will work. I always liked that rope ladder they had at Renaissance Fairs where you had to have proper balance or it flipped you over

 

[fantasycurse42]

Daycare

 

[cosjobs]

Daycare

There's a pre-school /daycare thing next door, should I try and work a deal with them or provide a separate one. The latter seems like a huge pita/liability. I wonder of the neighbor would be receptive?

 

[avoiding injuries]

There's a vineyard near me that has a pavilion where bands play and a courtyard next to it where the kids (and some adults) dance. They sometimes have face painters and things like that. The parents drink their booze and the kids are entertained.

 

[fantasycurse42]

I don't know how you should do it, but amywhere the wife and I can play with our son and then take an hour to ourselves is always a huge plus!

 

[Hawks64]

We're looking in to developing a restaurant/bar/food court/truck concept on a property adjacent to the city park.

I will have food trucks serving things like snow cones, cupcakes, ice cream, as well as usual food truck fare.

The back of the property overlooks a small lake. That's where I'd have a permanent food service and full bar with lots of decks looking over the water.

I'd like to add some features other than the sugary food trucks that would entice parents to come bring the kids to visit while dad hangs out at the bar. Is that McDonalds play room concept still popular? What's fun, but not a huge insurance risk?

I think you need to define the age targets. My sons 9 and 11 would want nothing to do with face paint and dance areas. Video games, nerf guns, basketball, football, fishing etc are what they would be interested in.

 

[Galileo]

Do you own the lake? Stock it...build a fishing pier. Sell bait...rent fishing poles...Dad sucks down a brew or two while junior munches on his snow cone and pulls crappie and bluegill out of the lake.

 

[cosjobs]

Do you own the lake? Stock it...build a fishing pier. Dad sucks down a brew or two while junior munches on his snow cone and pulls crappie and bluegill out of the lake.

Don't own the lake in the city park and we're probably 20-30 feet away. THere is also a fence between us. Unsure if they'll let me put a gate.

Maybe some setup where they practice casting to win prizes or something? In an above ground pool or even on the ground? A bunch of tires they try to cast their plug into> Maybe set it up like a frisbee golf course?

What about a frisbee golf course. Not for kids, right?

 

[cosjobs]

We're looking in to developing a restaurant/bar/food court/truck concept on a property adjacent to the city park.

I will have food trucks serving things like snow cones, cupcakes, ice cream, as well as usual food truck fare.

The back of the property overlooks a small lake. That's where I'd have a permanent food service and full bar with lots of decks looking over the water.

I'd like to add some features other than the sugary food trucks that would entice parents to come bring the kids to visit while dad hangs out at the bar. Is that McDonalds play room concept still popular? What's fun, but not a huge insurance risk?

I think you need to define the age targets. My sons 9 and 11 would want nothing to do with face paint and dance areas. Video games, nerf guns, basketball, football, fishing etc are what they would be interested in.

I think I can assume that all ages will be there? If there's something that would interest them. I guess the 3-10 year olds are more likely to be drug along with their folks on a Saturday afternoon> Shrug. No kids here....

 

[Frostillicus]

Playground

 

[Hawks64]

We're looking in to developing a restaurant/bar/food court/truck concept on a property adjacent to the city park.

I will have food trucks serving things like snow cones, cupcakes, ice cream, as well as usual food truck fare.

The back of the property overlooks a small lake. That's where I'd have a permanent food service and full bar with lots of decks looking over the water.

I'd like to add some features other than the sugary food trucks that would entice parents to come bring the kids to visit while dad hangs out at the bar. Is that McDonalds play room concept still popular? What's fun, but not a huge insurance risk?

I think you need to define the age targets. My sons 9 and 11 would want nothing to do with face paint and dance areas. Video games, nerf guns, basketball, football, fishing etc are what they would be interested in.

I think I can assume that all ages will be there? If there's something that would interest them. I guess the 3-10 year olds are more likely to be drug along with their folks on a Saturday afternoon> Shrug. No kids here....

I would drag mine along if I could let them do their thing while I get my drink and food on.

 

[Spin]

Bounce castle / obstacle course.

 

[bentley]

Playground

Yeah. Don't overthink this. Playground + decent beer on tap are it for us. The Phil's Ice House on Anderson Mill is always insanely packed and that's what they have. Central Market on Lamar has that plus live music at times and it's the same way.

 

[NutterButter]

My girls always love a face painter and a balloon animal maker.

 

[Eephus]

Fast service. Get some appetizers on the table as soon as possible. When our kids were little, we used to take them for stuff like dim sum and Mexican a lot because of this.

 

[elbowrm]

T shirt gun

 

[No One]

So what are we talking about nowadays for a playground? Monkey bars, Swings, merry go round? Haven't been or had a kid in half a century. I do have liability concerns. Is there a spot in Austin I should copy? (Bentley)

 

[No One]

What about washers or cornholes? Seems like that would be more teens or above. ..

 

[James Daulton]

Breastaurant.

 

[bostonfred]

So what are we talking about nowadays for a playground? Monkey bars, Swings, merry go round? Haven't been or had a kid in half a century. I do have liability concerns. Is there a spot in Austin I should copy? (Bentley)

1) Swings. Baby swings and side by side swings are a plus. 2) lots of slides. 2 or 3 side by side is good for racing. as kids get older they need a wave, a steep incline, a curl and/or an enclosed tube.

3) the ground is lava. Monkey bars, balance beam, little stools about a foot apart, some kind of rope web thing they have to climb side to side on. Preferably in a circle so they can do one circuit at a time

4) something really tall with a view. Like they climb up a ladder and then run around and climb up another ladder and then there's a big enclosed slide to get down.

5) obstacle course stuff for the older kids. One near me has a plastic rock climbing wall that twists around like a mobius strip, so they have to hold themselves up at weird angles or upside down, and then a big rope spider web in the middle. Very popular for one kid or large groups.

the ground is lava is the cheapest of those features.

if you buy a new commercial play area you're looking at 5 digits plus wood chips, insurance, etc. Buying individual pieces is sometimes better and cheaper.

 

[E-Z Glider]

You're going to sink a fortune into commercial grade playground equipment and still have liabilities. Id nix that idea.

If you're really looking to attract kids and willing to spend some dough, organize it like a day-camp and have a daily activity schedule. Ever been to one of those multi-day hippie festivals where they have an area setup for kids? Do that. Kids music, entertainers, crafts and face painting for the young ones. Organized games and interactive art and music projects for the older ones. Now here's your hook... every day you have a HUGE interactive parade as the final "activity" of the day. Get a really good/funky drummer to march along and set the beat. The kids get to show off the masks/costumes/instruments that they made and the buzzed-up parents get to dress-up and join the fun too. Best of all, it ensures everyone stays (and eats and drinks) until the end.

The festival I linked above is great and they've been doing it for years, but Im sure there are similar things everywhere. Go do some research. You could probably hire some hippies to pull this off on the cheap.