Jake Glennon, 23, from Crosby, was "blown away" after his new business, The Village Play Cafe, sold out its first session within 10 minutes of booking going live. The Montessori-inspired play space, located on Liverpool Road, is aimed at children from birth to five years old and officially opens to the public on Friday, July 17.
Background and Inspiration
Glennon has run children's entertainment company DJ Jay Parties for the past 10 years, hosting events across the wider region. Through this, he noticed a lack of children's play spaces and community venues for families in the coastal town, which inspired the new cafe. He told the ECHO: "We wanted to create somewhere families could come together, chat, play and spend quality time with each other. With my background in hospitality and children's entertainment, it just made sense to bring everything together under one roof."
Montessori-Style Play
The cafe features a Montessori-inspired play area, which encourages children to use their imagination, be creative, and learn through play. Glennon explained: "Role play is so important for children for their development. Montessori-style play is becoming much more popular because people are realising the impact screen time can have." The play area includes a play kitchen, barbecue station, baby area, climbing equipment, train tracks, and cars.
Sessions and Pricing
Families can book two-hour sessions, with admission costing £7.50 per child, including one free adult, while additional adults pay £2 each. During each session, parents can enjoy speciality coffee supplied by Crosby Coffee alongside a full cafe menu featuring waffles, paninis, toasties, yoghurt bowls, fish finger sandwiches, and other family-friendly dishes.
Overwhelming Response
Glennon said: "We absolutely didn't expect the sessions to sell out in 10 minutes. We were completely blown away by the response. At the moment we're keeping the sessions small so our team can get used to the cafe, and then we'll gradually increase capacity." The first session is already fully booked before the venue has even opened its doors.
Employment Opportunities
Glennon, alongside his partner Danny, are overseeing the team of employees. The pair are working with Sefton at Work to create employment opportunities for vulnerable young adults. Two members of staff will join the team through the programme as the business grows to around eight employees.
Transformation and Future Plans
The building was an old office before the transformation. Glennon said: "It was just grey and not very inviting. We've completely transformed the space, and apart from some structural work, me and my family have done most of it ourselves, spending 12-hour days here to get everything ready." Plans are already underway for a large official launch event featuring popular children's mascots and characters, including Bluey, Peppa Pig, Olaf, unicorns, and dinosaurs. A date for this has yet to be announced.
