The Little Village Play Cafe

A social village for parents and their children.

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Wauwatosa mom Abi Gilman found that she was limited when searching for places where she could enjoy a cup of coffee and comfortably bring her two young, active sons. “It was difficult to find a place where they weren’t disturbing other guests,” Gilman says. “I saw a gap in the community for places where can you casually go with kids.”

That need led Gilman to form The Little Village Play Cafe, 6505 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa. Open since March, the spacious, 3,800 square-foot coffee shop has an attached play space designed for kids up to age 5.

“Parents or caregivers can come in, meet a friend, get coffee and something to eat, and their kids have a space to be kids.” In addition to coffee and coffee drinks, the café also serves craft beers, wine, and a menu featuring Flour Girl & Flame pizza, Funky Fresh Spring Rolls, and kid’s foods.

The open-play sessions cost $6 for 30 minutes, $9 for 60 minutes or $12 for 90 minutes, per child. There is a $1 discount for each additional sibling. The play area has room for up to 25 kids. Gilman plans to add structured play groups on Monday and Tuesday. There is occasionally a wait list, but activity bins with games, books and coloring books can keep kids busy while waiting.

Building a Village

Gilman began planning the venture while pregnant with her third child, who was born in November and is now 5 months old. Her sons are ages 2 and 4. The large kid’s play area has a warm living room ambiance with comfortable couches for parents or caregivers, with plenty for the kids to do. There’s a play kitchen, kid-size tables and chairs, a playhouse, a doll house, a floor balance beam, and lots of handcrafted wooden toys. Toys are often rotated.

In the café, the counters are low so that working or lounging parents can see their kids in the play area. The café has a TV so parents can enjoy a beer while cheering on our Milwaukee sports teams.

A retail component offers artisan made cards, candles and jewelry, and kids art supplies and toys. Gilman says almost any toy in the play space can be purchased at the gift area or ordered.

Drink menu highlights include Dirt Cake, Pilcrow Coffee’s popular chocolaty nitro cold brew. About a dozen craft beers range from pilsners to Smells Like a Humble Adventure imperial stout, from Humble Forager Brewery, in Waunakee, Wis. There are also several hard seltzers made by Wisconsin craft breweries.

Wine lovers can choose from Dancing Crow Vineyards’ cabernet sauvignon or Union Wine Co.’s Underwood pinot noir, along with white and rose wines. Non-alcoholic options include IPAs and porter beers and rosé and Riesling N/A wines.

Hungry guests can choose from five different vegetarian or meat pizzas from Flour Girl & Flame, including the breakfast pizza, with an egg base and mozzarella, maple sausage and wood-fired potatoes (all $18). Three varieties of Funky Fresh Spring Rolls—Breakfast Turkey Sausage, Chicken Club Roll or Sweet Potato and Black Bean— are 6 for $13.50.

Children can choose four options from a menu of fresh fruits and vegetables, chicken nuggets, breakfast sausage, mini pancakes and finger foods like Cinnamon Spaceballs. The choices are presented to the child on a divided snack plate with their names attached.

Customers can order from neighboring Crafty Cow and have food brought to The Little Village Play Café, which does not have a full kitchen at this time, but Gilman is proud to partner with area businesses to offer good food options.

Gilman says proceeds from their Missionaides are donated to different causes. The flavors and colors change to coincide with the organization to which the café donates each month.

Gilman is partnering with Joy Ice Cream to bring their ice cream tricycle to the café on Friday evenings. She plans to transform the side parking lot into an outdoor space. She will add more programming, classes and story times. She praises the support and camaraderie among the small businesses in the area.

“It really does take a village,” Gilman says.

For more information, visit thelittlevillageplaycafe.com.