The Profitable Play Podcast

In this episode of the Profitable Play Podcast, we’re breaking down 6 "micro-trends" or shifts some play cafes are quietly making behind-the-scenes as we go through 2026.

BLOG for this episode: https://www.michelecaruana.com/blog/simplify-your-play-cafe

These aren’t big flashy trends—but they’re the small operational shifts that can have a huge impact on your day-to-day, your team, and ultimately your quality of life as an owner.

Because at a certain point, it’s not just about adding more.

It’s about simplifying what you’re already doing so your business actually feels manageable to run.

In this episode, we cover:

• Going cashless
• Collecting party payments in advance
• Simplifying or eliminating drip coffee
• Short-term or seasonal memberships
• Encouraging or requiring reservations
• Positioning your space as a “third space” or community hub

If you’ve been feeling stretched, overwhelmed, or like your business is more complicated than it needs to be, this episode will help you start thinking differently about what to streamline, what to rethink, and what actually makes sense for your space.

(Episode 49) Adding An Automatic Service Charge To Parties: https://bit.ly/4cme8Pr

(Esisode 203) How To Create A Summer/Seasonal Membership Offer: https://bit.ly/3NXe4MQ

OTHER RESOURCES:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Getting Started With Your Play Cafe [YouTube Video Playlist]

What's Working In The Indoor Play Industry 2025 Guide

Fund Your Indoor Play Business [Free Training]

Indoor Play Courses & 1:1 Consulting Waitlist

Michele’s Instagram

Michele’s Website

Play Cafe Academy YouTube Channel

ETSY Template Shop

Prepare Your Indoor Playground For a Recession

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Questions and Support: [email protected] 

TOOLS & OTHER LINKS:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society: http://bit.ly/3HES7fD

Questions and Support: [email protected] 

TOOLS:

Wellness Living POS and Branded App Software

Play Space Brain (Mention This Podcast For Special Pricing!)

Simplify and Scale with 50% OFF WellnessLiving

Active Campaign Free Trial

Free Demo of Aluvii All-In-One POS

In this episode of the Profitable Play Podcast, I sit down with Erin and Justin, the owners of Hangtime Play Café in Arlington, Washington—an indoor playground and play café that scaled to over 250 members just two months after opening.

We break down how they pre-sold over 100 memberships before they even opened, the exact strategies they used to build demand early, and how they created strong recurring revenue from day one.

We also dive into how they designed a smaller 2,500 sq ft space to feel bigger, more premium, and highly functional—maximizing every square foot to support open play, memberships, and birthday parties without sacrificing the customer experience.

Plus, we discuss what’s actually driving revenue in their play café business, including how their café is contributing a significant portion of total sales, how they’re balancing memberships, open play, and private parties, and what they’ve learned about capacity, pricing, and operations in their first few months.

We also cover a major build-out challenge—a delayed play structure shipment—and how they used that time to build hype, collect leads, and strengthen their brand before fully opening.

If you’re starting or growing an indoor playground, play café, or kids’ activity center, this episode is packed with real-world insights on membership growth, play café design, revenue streams, and what it actually takes to launch and scale successfully. 

WATCH on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2acgncX70Rk

BLOG for this episode: https://www.michelecaruana.com/blog/founding-members-play-cafe

Hangtime Play Cafe IG: https://www.instagram.com/hangtimeplaycafe/

Hangtime Play Cafe Website: https://www.hangtimeplaycafe.com/

Hangtime Play Cafe TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hangtime_playcafe

OTHER RESOURCES:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Getting Started With Your Play Cafe [YouTube Video Playlist]

What's Working In The Indoor Play Industry 2025 Guide

Fund Your Indoor Play Business [Free Training]

Indoor Play Courses & 1:1 Consulting Waitlist

Michele’s Instagram

Michele’s Website

Play Cafe Academy YouTube Channel

ETSY Template Shop

Prepare Your Indoor Playground For a Recession

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Questions and Support: [email protected] 

TOOLS & OTHER LINKS:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society: http://bit.ly/3HES7fD

Questions and Support: [email protected] 

TOOLS:

Wellness Living POS and Branded App Software

Play Space Brain (Mention This Podcast For Special Pricing!)

Simplify and Scale with 50% OFF WellnessLiving

Active Campaign Free Trial

Free Demo of Aluvii All-In-One POS

If you’ve ever opened social media and thought, “How am I supposed to compete with all these FREE events and classes?”—this episode is for you.

BLOG for this episode-- click here!

In this episode, I break down why indoor playgrounds and play cafés don’t actually compete with free events—and how to position your paid classes, camps, and events so they consistently sell out.

Free events often come with crowds, long lines, and unpredictable experiences, while paid events offer structure, convenience, and a higher-quality experience that many families are happy to pay for.

We’ll cover:

• Why you don’t need to compete with free events at all
• The mindset shift that changes everything for your marketing
• How to attract the right customers (not everyone)
• Why smaller, curated events can be more profitable
• How to position your events as premium, not optional

If you’ve been second-guessing your pricing or struggling to fill events, this episode will help you reframe your strategy and sell with confidence.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Getting Started With Your Play Cafe [YouTube Video Playlist]

What's Working In The Indoor Play Industry 2025 Guide

Fund Your Indoor Play Business [Free Training]

Indoor Play Courses & 1:1 Consulting Waitlist

Michele’s Instagram

Michele’s Website

Play Cafe Academy YouTube Channel

ETSY Template Shop

Prepare Your Indoor Playground For a Recession

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Questions and Support: [email protected]

TOOLS & OTHER LINKS:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society: http://bit.ly/3HES7fD

Questions and Support: [email protected] 

TOOLS:

Wellness Living POS and Branded App Software

Play Space Brain (Mention This Podcast For Special Pricing!)

Simplify and Scale with 50% OFF WellnessLiving

Active Campaign Free Trial

Free Demo of Aluvii All-In-One POS

In this episode of The Profitable Play Podcast, I’m joined by Lindsay, the founder of Spirited Play Labs—an inclusive, membership-based indoor play space in the San Francisco Bay Area designed to support neurodivergent children and their families.

Lindsay is a former speech therapist, a parent of a neurodivergent child, and she now identifies as neurodivergent herself—so this conversation blends real-life inclusion, sustainable operations, and multi-location growth.

We talk about how Lindsay scaled from one location to three (with a fourth planned), how she built a team structure that allows her to stay out of daily operations, and why her staff and culture are the most defensible part of her business model.

We also cover the behind-the-scenes of becoming a vendor with California’s Regional Center so certain families can have memberships covered—creating a B2B revenue stream and a strong referral engine.

If you want practical ideas around membership models, inclusive play design, staff training, customer experience consistency, and scaling beyond one location, this episode is for you.

BLOG with top 12 takeaways: https://www.michelecaruana.com/blog/spirited-play-labs-interview

In this episode, Lindsay and I cover:

• How she launched Spirited Play Labs after COVID and the needs she saw in her community
• What it looks like to build an inclusive indoor playground that supports neurodivergent kids without feeling clinical
• Why she chose a membership-based model and how her first-time visit process works
• How she scaled from 1 to 3 locations (and what changed operationally as she grew)
• The staffing structure behind her locations: managers, training, and culture consistency
• The real lessons she learned about real estate, buildouts, and overspending early on
• How she became a Regional Center vendor in California and what “B2B memberships” can look like
• How she thinks about behavior, regulation, and safety without relying on strict “rules boards”
• The referral engines that actually work in the disability community (and why she spends very little on ads)
• How being neurodivergent impacts her leadership, energy, and long-term sustainability as an owner
• Simple ways traditional play cafés can become more inclusive—starting with who you listen to and who you hire

Connect with Lindsay / Spirited Play Labs

• Instagram: Spirited Play Labs
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://spiritedplaylabs.com/
• Blog for this episode: https://www.michelecaruana.com/blog/spirited-play-labs-interview

RESOURCES:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Getting Started With Your Play Cafe [YouTube Video Playlist]

What's Working In The Indoor Play Industry 2025 Guide

Fund Your Indoor Play Business [Free Training]

Indoor Play Courses & 1:1 Consulting Waitlist

Michele’s Instagram

Michele’s Website

Play Cafe Academy YouTube Channel

ETSY Template Shop

Prepare Your Indoor Playground For a Recession

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Questions and Support: [email protected] 

TOOLS & OTHER LINKS:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society: http://bit.ly/3HES7fD

Questions and Support: [email protected] 

TOOLS:

Wellness Living POS and Branded App Software

Play Space Brain (Mention This Podcast For Special Pricing!)

Simplify and Scale with 50% OFF WellnessLiving

Active Campaign Free Trial

Free Demo of Aluvii All-In-One POS

n this episode, I’m sharing 11 sneaky patterns I consistently see holding play cafés and indoor playgrounds back—not because owners aren’t working hard, but because these habits are easy to miss when you’re in the day-to-day.

BLOG For this Episode: https://www.michelecaruana.com/blog/why-play-cafes-struggle-to-grow

I explain how inconsistent boundaries, unclear systems, staffing challenges, and operational habits quietly limit revenue, increase stress, and prevent businesses from reaching their full potential.

These issues are incredibly common—but once you identify them, they are entirely fixable.

In this episode, I explain:

• The most common operational patterns I see holding play cafés back
• How inconsistent policies reduce customer trust and retention
• The systems mistakes I see that quietly reduce bookings
• Why staffing and training directly impact profitability
• The leadership habits I see that separate struggling and thriving owners
• How small operational decisions compound into major growth limitations

This episode is especially helpful if you:

• Feel stuck despite working hard
• Want to increase profitability without working more hours
• Are trying to scale your play café or indoor playground
• Want to build a more stable, sustainable business

RESOURCES:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Getting Started With Your Play Cafe [YouTube Video Playlist]

What's Working In The Indoor Play Industry 2025 Guide

Fund Your Indoor Play Business [Free Training]

Indoor Play Courses & 1:1 Consulting Waitlist

Michele’s Instagram

Michele’s Website

Play Cafe Academy YouTube Channel

ETSY Template Shop

Prepare Your Indoor Playground For a Recession

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Questions and Support: [email protected] 

TOOLS & OTHER LINKS:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society: http://bit.ly/3HES7fD

Questions and Support: [email protected] 

TOOLS:

Wellness Living POS and Branded App Software

Play Space Brain (Mention This Podcast For Special Pricing!)

Simplify and Scale with 50% OFF WellnessLiving

Active Campaign Free Trial

Free Demo of Aluvii All-In-One POS

What’s it really like to buy an existing play café instead of starting from scratch?

In this candid conversation, I sit down with Kaylinn from Kay’s Play Days — former owner of Monkey Around Play Café and now floor manager at Wise Wonders Children’s Museum — to talk through the real behind-the-scenes of purchasing, running, and ultimately closing a play space.

Watch on YouTube instead: https://youtu.be/FV7nwc-nBZA

She shares what she wishes she had verified before buying, lessons around finances and leases, and the operational realities that don’t always show up in a business plan. We also talk about the personal side of ownership — how the long hours and stress impacted her family — and why stepping into a museum leadership role has given her more balance without leaving the industry she loves.

If you’re considering buying, selling, or simply questioning whether ownership is right for you, this episode will give you clarity, perspective, and practical lessons you can apply immediately.

• Buying vs. starting from scratch

• Due diligence and financial transparency

• Lease and landlord challenges

• Hidden operational realities of ownership

• Why she’d skip bounce houses next time

• Simple ways to empower your team

• Creative staffing partnerships

• The personal and family impact of ownership

• Pivoting into a museum leadership role

Follow @kaysplaydays on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook

Get the complete step-by-step blueprint inside Play Café Academy + a free month of Play Maker Society.

Start here!

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Getting Started With Your Play Cafe [YouTube Video Playlist]

What's Working In The Indoor Play Industry 2025 Guide

Fund Your Indoor Play Business [Free Training]

Indoor Play Courses & 1:1 Consulting Waitlist

Michele’s Instagram

Michele’s Website

Play Cafe Academy YouTube Channel

ETSY Template Shop

Prepare Your Indoor Playground For a Recession

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Questions and Support: [email protected] 

TOOLS & OTHER LINKS:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society: http://bit.ly/3HES7fD

Questions and Support: [email protected] 

TOOLS:

Wellness Living POS and Branded App Software

Play Space Brain (Mention This Podcast For Special Pricing!)

Simplify and Scale with 50% OFF WellnessLiving

Active Campaign Free Trial

Free Demo of Aluvii All-In-One POS

Retain your customers and get repeat bookings by creating a Disney-level experience at your indoor playground business or play cafe business!

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/S5mc-itOHuk

What if the reason families don’t rebook birthday parties, memberships, or repeat visits isn’t your pricing, marketing, or competition—but your customer experience systems?

In this episode, I’m joined by Vance Morris, a former Disney leader who spent over a decade designing and operating guest experiences at Disney—and now helps brick-and-mortar businesses create raving fans for life without overspending or burning out.

This conversation is especially relevant for indoor playground and play café owners who are:

...Facing increased local competition

...Frustrated with always chasing new leads

...Tired of the social media hamster-wheel and getting new customers in the door each day

...Competing against chains or copycat concepts

...Relying heavily on birthday parties for revenue

...Trying to stand out without discounts or constant promotions

In this interview, we cover:

...Why customer retention beats customer acquisition for play businesses

...How Disney delivers consistent, magical experiences using systems—not perfect staff

...The biggest mistake small businesses make when training employees

...How scripts, SOPs, and onboarding create freedom instead of rigidity

...Low-cost ways to create tellable moments that drive referrals

...How experience impacts party rebookings and guest-to-customer conversion

...What indoor playground owners should focus on after the party ends

Vance also shares real examples of how small changes—many costing little to nothing—can dramatically increase repeat business and lifetime customer value.

If you want families talking about your business, choosing you over competitors, and coming back year after year, this episode will completely shift how you think about experience.

Resources & Links:

Download: 52 Ways to Wow Your Customer Without Breaking the Bank

Learn more about Vance: vancemorris.com

More ways to implement Disney magic at your play cafe: https://bit.ly/3M7MVFU

OTHER RESOURCES:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Getting Started With Your Play Cafe [YouTube Video Playlist]

What's Working In The Indoor Play Industry 2025 Guide

Fund Your Indoor Play Business [Free Training]

Indoor Play Courses & 1:1 Consulting Waitlist

Michele’s Instagram

Michele’s Website

Play Cafe Academy YouTube Channel

ETSY Template Shop

Prepare Your Indoor Playground For a Recession

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Questions and Support: [email protected]

TOOLS & OTHER LINKS:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society: http://bit.ly/3HES7fD

Questions and Support: [email protected] 

TOOLS:

Wellness Living POS and Branded App Software

Play Space Brain (Mention This Podcast For Special Pricing!)

Simplify and Scale with 50% OFF WellnessLiving

Active Campaign Free Trial

Free Demo of Aluvii All-In-One POS

What does it actually take to run a successful play café once you’re past the opening phase—especially when your space is larger than most independent, non-franchise-chain locations?

In this episode of the Profitable Play Podcast, I sit down with Kristina Lai, owner of Busy Bee Play Cafe in Indianapolis, Indiana. Their 8,500+ sq ft facility is on the larger side for a non-chain indoor playground business, which brings its own unique challenges and advantages.

On the challenge side, a larger space means a bigger team (often with a high number of teenage staff), higher capacity to manage, more moving parts operationally, and the ability—and pressure—to run a high volume of birthday parties every single week.

On the flip side, that size also creates real opportunities: multiple parties running at once, diversified revenue streams beyond open play, a full balloon bar, stronger café potential, and more flexibility in how the business actually makes money.

In this conversation, Kristina shares a candid, behind-the-scenes look at how she navigates both sides of that equation.

We cover:

...Operating a larger independent play café without franchise systems

...Managing a large, mostly teenage team in peak seasons

...Running a high volume of birthday parties each week—and why systems matter

...Hosting multiple parties at the same time without overwhelming staff or guests

...Real revenue breakdowns: open play, parties, memberships, café sales, retail, and balloons

...Building a profitable balloon business after Party City closures

...Using reservations and memberships to control capacity in a high-traffic space

...When memberships attract the wrong families—and how to handle it

...Letting go of problem members and employees (and why some money isn’t worth it)

...Launching hot food in a play café without turning it into a full restaurant

...The emotional toll of running a large play business and being “always on call”

...How ownership impacts family life when your kids grow up alongside the business

This episode is especially helpful if you:

...Own or are planning on opening a play café or indoor playground

...Are considering (or already running) a larger-than-average independent space

...Run frequent birthday parties and want better systems

...Want multiple revenue streams without burning out

...Are managing staffing, capacity, or boundaries

👉 Busy Bee Play Cafe

Website: https://www.thebusybeeplaycafe.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebusybeeplaycafe/

🎧 Prefer video? Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/xIss67qwn3I

OTHER RESOURCES:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Getting Started With Your Play Cafe [YouTube Video Playlist]

What's Working In The Indoor Play Industry 2025 Guide

Fund Your Indoor Play Business [Free Training]

Indoor Play Courses & 1:1 Consulting Waitlist

Michele’s Instagram

Michele’s Website

Play Cafe Academy YouTube Channel

ETSY Template Shop

Prepare Your Indoor Playground For a Recession

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Questions and Support: [email protected] 

TOOLS & OTHER LINKS:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society: http://bit.ly/3HES7fD

Questions and Support: [email protected] 

TOOLS:

Wellness Living POS and Branded App Software

Play Space Brain (Mention This Podcast For Special Pricing!)

Simplify and Scale with 50% OFF WellnessLiving

Active Campaign Free Trial

Free Demo of Aluvii All-In-One POS

In this episode, I’m joined by Charlesee and Max Woosley, the husband-and-wife owners of Little Dreams Play Studio in Dayton, Ohio.

They opened in March, expanded quickly, added a café, and almost immediately faced new competition.

We talk about what that actually looked like behind the scenes—and how they’ve navigated growth, staffing, pricing, and marketing without losing focus or burning out.

In this episode, we cover...

• Opening as the only play space—and handling nearby competition
• Expanding their space and adding a café
• Hiring lessons and early staffing mistakes
• Why birthday parties grew faster than expected
• Booking parties from Google and social media without prior visits
• A local TikTok that drove real foot traffic
• Adjusting hours based on data, not guesswork
• Using simple systems to run the business day-to-day
• Running a play business as a married couple
• Staying anchored to purpose during stressful seasons

Connect with & follow Little Dreams Play Studio:

• Website
• Instagram
• Tik Tok

OTHER RESOURCES:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Getting Started With Your Play Cafe [YouTube Video Playlist]

What's Working In The Indoor Play Industry 2025 Guide

Fund Your Indoor Play Business [Free Training]

Indoor Play Courses & 1:1 Consulting Waitlist

Michele’s Instagram

Michele’s Website

Play Cafe Academy YouTube Channel

ETSY Template Shop

Prepare Your Indoor Playground For a Recession

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Questions and Support: [email protected] 

TOOLS & OTHER LINKS:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society: http://bit.ly/3HES7fD

Questions and Support: [email protected] 

TOOLS:

Wellness Living POS and Branded App Software

Play Space Brain (Mention This Podcast For Special Pricing!)

Simplify and Scale with 50% OFF WellnessLiving

Active Campaign Free Trial

Free Demo of Aluvii All-In-One POS

This is Part 2 of my annual indoor playground and play café industry trends episode — a series I’ve released every single year since 2019.

Part 1 focused on business design and planning.

Part 2 is about operations, systems, and the decisions owners are making behind the scenes that will quietly determine who is still standing in 3–5 years.

These aren’t “ideas to try.” These are structural shifts happening right now inside profitable, sustainable play businesses. And if you miss them They’re expensive to fix later.

In this episode, I break down the operational and ownership trends shaping 2026, including:

• Why owners are stepping back earlier — and how systems (not hustle) are making it possible
• The rise of businesses designed to function without the owner present
• Why you cannot out-market a broken layout, bad flow, or poorly designed space
• How intentional design decisions reduce staffing costs, customer friction, and burnout
• Why some owners are quietly cutting hours — and increasing profit
• The shift toward making money during downtime, not just peak hours
• How smarter owners are evaluating revenue streams based on profitability and energy, not ego
• Why “just add more offerings” is becoming a dangerous strategy
• The growing gap between owners who track numbers weekly and those who “feel busy”
• How over-reliance on AI without real-world context is already costing new owners time and money

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

BLOG For This Episode

Little Play Avenue

Episode 105: Call Forwarding Systems To Better Customer Service

Episode 84: Making Money As A UGC Creator

Episode 349: Business Sponsorships with Jayci from Tiny Play

Episode 341: Lead Your Team Better in 2026

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

OTHER RESOURCES:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Getting Started With Your Play Cafe [YouTube Video Playlist]

What's Working In The Indoor Play Industry 2025 Guide

Fund Your Indoor Play Business [Free Training]

Indoor Play Courses & 1:1 Consulting Waitlist

Michele’s Instagram

Michele’s Website

Play Cafe Academy YouTube Channel

ETSY Template Shop

Prepare Your Indoor Playground For a Recession

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society

Questions and Support: [email protected] 

TOOLS & OTHER LINKS:

Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society: http://bit.ly/3HES7fD

Questions and Support: [email protected] 

TOOLS:

Wellness Living POS and Branded App Software

Play Space Brain (Mention This Podcast For Special Pricing!)

Simplify and Scale with 50% OFF WellnessLiving

Active Campaign Free Trial

Free Demo of Aluvii All-In-One POS