Play-a-Latte, Webster’s very own play café, is celebrating its first anniversary, and parents and kids of all ages are invited to join the fun.
Play-a-Latte, located in Towne Center Plaza (Target Plaza), is owned and operated by Richelle Acker and Kristi Phillips. It offers families a bright, kid-friendly space where children can dive into imaginative play, and a coffeehouse vibe, where parents can sip, chat, unwind and catch up with friends while their kids explore. It’s a bright, colorful, welcoming atmosphere reminiscent of small-town America.
Eight different custom-built playhouses (retail and service shops) line the walls, surrounding a “central park”-type area with picnic tables, all encouraging imaginative play. There’s also a fenced-off area for very young children, a party room, and a separate sensory room: a quieter, calmer space with muted lighting, fidget toys and sensory tiles and boards. Plus, there’s plenty of comfortable seating for parents and grandparents, and a nice variety of refreshment options for both adults and children.
Basically, it’s adorable.
In the last year, the play café has seen steady business, especially during the colder months when playing outside isn’t a great option. Visiting the indoor playground has definitely been a delightful experience for little ones, but Richelle and Kristi are finding that one of the best parts about their business are the adult friendships they’re making at the same time.
Richelle wrote,
We have built so many wonderful relationships with our customers and made a lot of new friends along the way. Our favorite part of the job is seeing our “regulars” come in and being able to relax and chat with them during their visit. While we recognize that it’s not always possible (or common) for business owners themselves to be present and working the “front lines,” we pride ourselves on being able to be at the play café, interacting with families and looking for ways to improve the experience.
Especially being a new business, we feel it’s important to build connections with customers, the community, and to have the day-to-day operational perspective to identify opportunities for improvement.
In the past year, Richelle and Kristi have also sponsored a wide variety of holiday events, pop-up vendor events (like Crochet Creations by KF and Abide Link Permanent Jewelry) and lots of informational specials events (like a cookie-making class, Love-2-Learn Sensory Class and Raising Readers with Elise). They’ve also already become deeply involved in the Webster community. They partner with local businesses and organizations for their supplies and special events, and have supported dozens of charitable organizations with donations of toys, gift cards, advertisements and sponsorships.
Richelle added,
In addition to having over 7,400 playtime admissions since we opened … we have also hosted 50 private birthday parties and have had so much fun adding our personal touches and making them all feel special for our families. We love being creative with the business and we look forward to expanding our services to the community in our second year. We have lots of fun ideas such as baby/toddler music classes, educational workshops for parents, and private family photo sessions/holiday photoshoots in our space.
Play-a-Latte will celebrate its one year anniversary on Saturday, Sept. 12. They’ll be open for playtime from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. that day (reservation are suggested). Guests that day will enjoy a complimentary dessert tray and can take photos in front of a cute backdrop. There’ll also be a basket giveaway, and anyone who shares their anniversary post will have a chance to win. Plus, all merchandise will be on sale for 50% off.
Play-a-Latte is located on the west side of Towne Center Plaza on Ridge Rd. (next to Cold Stone). You can find more information on their website, Facebook page and Instagram (Playalatte_PlayCafe).
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(posted 9/7/2026)
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