Business plan for opening a children's cafe with a playroom

* The calculations use average data for Russia

1,200,000 ₽ Starting investment

750,000 ₽ Revenue

150,000 - 220,000 ₽ Net profit

12 months Payback period

A cafe for children is a niche in the catering industry in which you will not have many competitors and many additional ways to earn money: from conducting master classes to organizing family holidays.

A children's cafe is a specific business that combines the spheres of catering and entertainment. It opens up a lot of opportunities for development and promotion, and is in demand in large and small cities. Competition in this area is still small, so it’s worth using all the opportunities and occupying a niche.

Why is a children's cafe a relevant business idea? Firstly, targeting a children's audience is relevant under any economic circumstances. Secondly, there are not many similar establishments in our country; the niche of specialized cafes for children is empty. Thirdly, the demand for the services of entertainment outlets for children is very high.

Business Features

The main differences between a children's cafe and other establishments are a special concept in design and menu, the priority of satisfying children's requests, the specifics of the entertainment program, as well as the age division of the audience. The cafe's offer depends on the age of visitors it is aimed at.

As a rule, the atmosphere in the cafe is aimed at children from six months and older, including teenagers up to 14 years old. Children's cafes hold parties for preschoolers and schoolchildren, celebrate birthdays, organize leisure activities: various master classes, show programs, etc. Some cafes rely on a play area, others on the work of animators, and still others on organizing family leisure activities that will be of interest to both children and their parents. Any children's cafe concept can become successful. The main thing is that it is clearly thought out.

Before deciding on the format of the establishment, you need to work out the concept: identify the target audience, the main idea and the feature that distinguishes you from competitors; think through the menu and interior in detail.

Room

Since every business has its own subtleties, before opening a children's cafe, it is necessary to research the market and study the state of affairs of competitors. When choosing a room, you need to take into account its location so that it is easy for visitors to get to it. For a cafe, you need to choose a spacious room with large windows (it can be rented or purchased).

It will need to include a kitchen where food will be prepared, a room with tables and chairs where visitors can try all the most delicious dishes from your menu. If your cafe is intended for young children, then it is necessary to provide a play area. You can place a trampoline, a wall bars in it, and attach a flat TV screen to the wall, which will show animated and feature films for children.

This corner will be decorated with images of popular movie characters. Board games and karaoke will be an addition. The total area of ​​the room can be from seventy to one hundred and fifty square meters. To calculate its exact dimensions, it is necessary to follow SES standards: five square meters are required for one person in the hall. A cafe may include not one, but two halls for visitors, a games area, a cinema hall and a stage.

Choice of concept and format

To stand out in the market and attract the maximum number of guests, the cafe must have an original concept. This issue should be approached with special responsibility, since not only the cafe’s attendance, but also its profit depends on the concept.

An establishment for children has special requirements that should be taken into account when developing the concept. A children's cafe is a place where it is important to create all the conditions for an interesting, comfortable and safe leisure time for a child. Therefore, the design of the room, the color scheme, all the decor, zoning, furniture and the concept of the playground are carefully thought out.

The classic format of a children's cafe is a catering area and a play area, which may have attractions, an amateur activity corner, a classroom for educational games, etc. Some establishments are equipped with carousels, slides or a pool with balls. The playroom must be safe, so it is important to choose the right finishes and furniture. There should also be a special employee in the play area who will monitor the children. Animators are often hired for this work.

To develop the concept of a children's cafe, you should analyze competitors, research foreign experience, evaluate the needs and interests of the local audience - and, based on the collected information, come up with your own idea for an establishment. It is important to consider the layout and area of ​​the cafe premises. Without a thorough niche analysis, investments will be risky.

There are many options in what form to present a children's cafe. They may differ in presentation, main idea, scale, theme, focus, amount of investment. Some formats are implemented with a budget of 500 thousand rubles, others require capital of 1.5-2 million rubles.

Recruitment of personnel and organization of cafe work

One of the important points that an establishment’s business plan must take into account is personnel selection. People need to be recruited not only with experience, but also with special education. We will need cooks, waitresses, room cleaners, an administrator, an animator and an accountant. The service staff must be polite and love children. An important point is the operating hours of the establishment; it is also included in the business plan. The children's cafe should operate from 9.00 to 21.00.

The service staff will work in shifts, the administrator and accountant will work according to the schedule: five working days and two days off. In order for the chef to master the methods of preparing dishes for children, he can be sent to special courses. Children love sweets very much. These products are not very useful for a young body, but a real master will be able to prepare them so that the food is tasty and healthy. It’s not worth saving on high-quality employees. The success of the establishment depends on their work.

Children's cafe with play area

The main “attraction” of such an establishment is the gaming area. This could be a labyrinth, a trampoline complex, a children's playground with houses, a dry pool, etc. This is a standard children's cafe format that can be made more interesting. For example, conduct music classes, culinary master classes or puppet theater performances. Organize a baby sale or family brunch buffet. Everything here is at the discretion of the owner.

Thus, the success of a children's cafe will depend on how thoughtful and convenient the format of the establishment is. It is important to take into account the opinions of both children and adults.

Project implementation

Where to start for an entrepreneur who wants to open a children's cafe? There can be two options:

• Conduct a market analysis, assess demand, develop a concept, draw up a business plan - and then look for suitable premises for this project;
• First, choose a room - and only then think through the concept, adjusting it to the features of the layout.

It is much more expedient to first decide on the premises, and then develop a project specifically for it. Firstly, this way you can think through the space - and for a children's cafe, with its complex layout, this is important. Secondly, finding a suitable premises is more difficult, so you need to start with this question. And then move on to organizing a business.

Project launch plan

The cafe is scheduled to open in early summer. This is the most active period for family relaxation, the opportunity to eat ice cream, and sit in a cozy place. Children's Day is a good reason for opening. Let's present all stages of preparation in a monthly schedule:

In order to meet the scheduled deadline, you should not put off the start of design and work with the designer. As work progresses, unforeseen circumstances may arise that can slow down the next stages. There is no need to hire a separate person for control. It is better to take personal responsibility and negotiate everything yourself. Only then will there be no additional costs and the cafe will open on the appointed day.

Permits and documents for a children's cafe

The first stage is registering a business and obtaining permits. To open a children's cafe, you need to register an LLC with the simplified tax system (“income minus expenses” at a rate of 15%).

Type of activity according to OKVED-2:

• 56.10.1 “Activities of restaurants and cafes with full restaurant service, cafeterias, fast food and self-service restaurants.”

As additional activities you can choose:

• 93.29.9 Other entertainment and entertainment activities
• 92.51 Activities of libraries, archives, club-type institutions

You will also have to collect an impressive package of permits, comply with all SES requirements, etc. You can read about all the nuances of opening a catering establishment here. The registration procedure for a children's cafe is no different from the usual one.

Choosing a children's cafe premises

This issue needs to be addressed in advance. Firstly, because when registering a business, you will have to provide a rental agreement for the premises and obtain permits to work in a specific premises. Secondly, finding a suitable premises is not so easy. The difficulties arise from the fact that catering establishments are subject to strict requirements that they must comply with. Thirdly, a children's cafe requires special zoning, layout, and design. Often there is a need for alterations, which not every owner of the premises will agree to.

You will be very lucky if you manage to find the premises where the catering establishment used to be located. This way you will save on paperwork and, possibly, on some equipment. Often such premises are rented with extractor hood, ventilation, and air conditioning.

When choosing a room, there are two main criteria: its geographical location and the condition of the room itself. A favorable location will be a good advertisement, and the good condition of the premises will reduce repair costs and preparation time for the opening.

The right location will be a good advertisement for your establishment.

The most profitable places to open a children's cafe:

• shopping centers;
• in a residential area on streets with high pedestrian traffic;
• parks, squares, embankments;
• premises near children's institutions.

The premises can be located in a shopping center, on the ground floor of a residential building or in a separate building. The main thing is that it has the necessary communications and the ability to decorate the facade in a corporate theme. In addition, it is necessary to ensure that the cafe is easy to get to, and there is convenient parking nearby.

In a cafe, you need to fit in this space: a gaming and dining area, administration, kitchen and utility rooms.

As practice shows, in most cases, premises of 80-100 sq.m. are chosen for children's cafes. It is difficult to arrange all the necessary zones in a smaller area. There are also larger-scale projects, when a children's cafe occupies 300 sq.m. and contains a whole range of attractions.

When choosing a room, pay attention to the decoration and the possibility of redevelopment. A children's cafe is a project with its own specifics and a standard room may not be suitable. In this case, you should have the opportunity to refurbish the premises - this issue should be immediately discussed with the landlord.

Another tip is to try to sign a long-term lease agreement with the owner. This will protect you from unforeseen actions on the part of the owner: increasing payment, terminating the contract, changing the conditions for renting the premises, etc.

The cost of renting a premises with an area of ​​80-100 sq.m. will be about 100 thousand rubles. Numbers may vary by region.

Equipment purchase

The list of equipment for a children's cafe is very extensive: it is necessary to equip the kitchen, play areas, equipment, furniture, and decorative elements.

Sample list of kitchen equipment:

• kitchen stoves;
• cutting tables;
• household appliances (meat grinder, milkshake maker, blender);
• sinks;
• dishes.

To decorate the play area you will need to purchase various attractions:

• slides and modules;
• ball pool;
• trampoline;
• toys and play sets

To decorate the dining area you will need:

• furniture (tables, chairs, armchairs, sofas, poufs)
• interior items

Thus, to equip a small cafe, the area of ​​which does not exceed 100 sq. m., you need to spend at least 500 thousand rubles.

Furniture and interior of a children's cafe

A children's cafe is a specific establishment, since the visitors here are diverse - and each with their own interests. It is important that all guests feel comfortable. The design of a children's cafe does not necessarily mean cartoon characters and decor from toys in the “eye-popping” style. Another option is possible: when the interior is calm and cozy, and the mood is set with the help of various decorations.

A good idea would be to zone the cafe – and design each zone for a specific group of visitors. For example, the play area where children are located can be decorated thematically and brightly; the dining area where parents can relax is calmer and more comfortable.

The interior of the cafe is selected based on the concept. How to do it is up to the business owner to decide. But there are a few recommendations to keep in mind:

• the floor must be level, without thresholds or steps, easy to clean and non-slip to avoid hazardous situations. It is better to lay soft mats on the floor in the playroom;
• exclude from the interior all objects “dangerous” for children: ornate stairs, open sockets, small parts, fragile dishes;
• Consider the important quality of the interior - accessibility for all ages. Games, furniture and decoration should be chosen for different ages in order to please all visitors: the youngest, the oldest, as well as their parents;

Pay special attention to the choice of furniture: for a children's cafe, its functionality and safety are important. Furniture should have no sharp corners. It is better to purchase round-shaped tables and replace the chairs with soft sofas, ottomans or bean bags. It is better to choose massive tables so that the child cannot tip them over. The best option would be non-toxic, environmentally friendly furniture made of wood or safe plastic.

Not only the quality of the furniture is important, but also its location. The chess arrangement, which is usually used in cafes, will not work in this case. Because in a children's institution it is necessary to create free space for active games and events. It is better to place furniture around the perimeter along the walls.

Don’t forget also about such important little things as:

• high chairs for feeding children under 3 years of age;
• a separate bathroom and toilet room with a changing table and feeding screen, as well as a children's sink and toilet.

As you can see, designing a children's cafe is a rather labor-intensive process in which it is important to take into account many nuances. Therefore, it is recommended to entrust the design of a cafe to a designer in order to create a cozy, functional, safe space for different visitors. The success of children's cafes is largely determined by the general atmosphere that is maintained in the establishment. People come here not so much for delicious dishes, but for a comfortable stay.

Differences from a regular cafe and features

The first question that needs to be addressed is the features of the children's cafe. This is not an ordinary restaurant with a standard interior design. Next, we will look at the key differences that an entrepreneur needs to pay special attention to.

Marketing

Most of the differences are in marketing. The concept of children's cafes is that parents can spend time in peace while their children play in a specially designated room. All advertising campaigns should be based on the fact that this is a children's cafe.

Some entrepreneurs open a business and order the development of a website with a standard design. As a result, when a person visits the site, he does not immediately understand whether it is a children’s cafe or not. This is wrong, a person should understand in less than a second that this is a children's cafe, and not some other one. A trivial example, you can make a lion cub or a dog in the header of the site.

The exact same situation should be with all other elements of the business with which a potential client interacts: signage, advertisements, discount coupons, etc.

Game room

A very important difference is that we will open a cafe with a children's room where children will play. The children's room can be open so that parents sit at tables and can keep an eye on their children, or closed. There is an option when entrepreneurs make two children’s rooms at once.

You can place anything in a children's room. There are a huge number of options on the market that you can choose from:

• Vending gaming machines;
• Trampolines;
• Walls you can draw on;
• Labyrinth;
• Just a room with a lot of toys;
• Etc.

The main condition is safety. The child should not get hurt, so all sharp corners need to be covered with a soft cover, and also get rid of holes into which children can stick their little ones, arms, legs and get stuck.

Interior

If you do not have design skills, then you need to find a person who will create an interior design for your children's cafe. The interior must be different from an ordinary cafe.

The services of a professional designer will be quite expensive, so entrepreneurs with a small budget are trying to design the walls and, in general, the entire interior on their own. The result, of course, leaves much to be desired, but they have no other choice.

“Good artists copy, great artists steal” - so if you don’t have the money to hire a designer, but you want to get a good result, just go to a competitor’s cafe. Ideally, you need to come to Moscow, where children's cafes are developed at a good level, look at their design ideas and do something similar in your city.

Furniture

In general, the furniture in children's cafes is not much different from ordinary ones. The only exception is that it is brighter. If standard restaurants stick to regular colors, then in our case we can choose green, red, yellow, etc.

It is important that your furniture matches the interior and is safe. By safety we mean that the wooden table should be of good quality and not have any knots that could cause splinters. Instead of ordinary chairs, ideally you should order soft chairs, but they take up more space and are much more expensive, so entrepreneurs do not choose them often.

Menu

It is clear that the regular menu will differ from the children's menu in appearance and content. Firstly, the children's menu should look attractive, and not like a notepad with a long list of items and prices. Secondly, the food on the children's menu is different from the food on the adult menu, so you must have the chef develop special dishes.

Children's dishes have smaller portions, must be prepared from harmless products, and also be beautifully presented. For example, some are prepared in the form of funny faces, which children really like.

Sample

You can see an example of what may be included in a children's menu and what it should look like below.

Examples of what dishes look like can be seen below:

Children holidays

Children's cafes are also distinguished by the fact that they provide services for organizing children's parties. Delicious cakes are prepared and animators are invited to entertain children throughout the holiday.

Dishes

The final major difference will be the dishes. In children's cafes it is usually either bright, or with animals, or with game or cartoon characters. Of course, you can try to save money and buy a regular one, but we do not recommend doing this, because you will not save that much, and this will have a very strong impact on customers.

Children's cafe menu and suppliers

The menu of a children's cafe should be very well thought out. It means that:

• The dishes are not only tasty, but also necessarily healthy;
• The dishes are beautiful and creatively designed to attract children: pay attention to the latest trends, for example, in recent years, unicorn food has been in fashion, that is, food in the color palette of unicorns.
• The food is neutral, i.e.: not too fatty, not too salty, not too spicy and only made from natural products;
• All products are as fresh as possible;
• The prices for dishes are not inflated so that parents of different incomes can come to the children's cafe;
• Portions should be kept small;
• Include in the menu dishes that all children love: milkshakes, juices, pizza.

Good raw materials are important for any establishment. Especially when it comes to products for children. Therefore, you need to decide on suppliers in advance, before the establishment opens. Don’t rush to make a choice; carefully study the offers on the market. A quality supplier is one that delivers exactly according to the agreed schedule and delivers fresh products that comply with GOST standards.

Compare prices, product quality and service - and choose the most profitable partnership option. It is better to work with trusted companies and large wholesale stores. The choice of suppliers concerns not only kitchen products, but also stationery, toys, and creative materials. They must also meet the requirements.

Description of products and services

The children's cafe provides catering and leisure services. It is necessary to develop a menu for European or Russian cuisine. For children, you need to create a separate menu with themed dishes. Include:

• first and second courses;
• salads;
• Dessert;
• beverages.

Design is important - make the dishes bright and tasty.

Pay attention to the development of leisure activities. A children's room and an animator will be required. The scenery should change and depend on the time of year. For New Year you need to create the appropriate atmosphere, for Halloween you need to place pumpkins and themed decorations everywhere. Visitors love novelty - this will increase attendance during the holidays.

A regular cafe is open from 11:00 to 22:00. It is permissible to adjust the regime during private events.

Children's cafe staff

What kind of employees are required to work in a children's cafe? In a small establishment the staff will consist of:

• cook/pastry chef - 2 people;
• game room worker/animator - 2 people;
• bartender-waiter – 2-4 people;
• administrator;
• accountant (outsourcing possible);
• cleaner (outsourcing possible).

The position of purchasing manager is also relevant. But it can be occupied by the entrepreneur himself. For a vacancy as a gaming room worker, it is advisable to look for a person who has experience working with children. It is best if the employee has a pedagogical or medical education. As for the animator, it is not profitable for small establishments to keep a permanent employee on staff. Typically, the services of an animator are required only on weekends, as well as during vacations and holidays. This is the busiest time to visit children's cafes.

Niche analysis

Next, we need to analyze the niche, namely, justify its relevance, assess demand and determine the target audience.

Is the idea relevant?

Many entrepreneurs who want to open a children's cafe wonder if this idea is even relevant? We can say with confidence that it is extremely relevant. Almost two million children are born in Russia every year. When they get a little older, parents begin to take them on rides, teach them to ride a bike and go to a children's cafe.

There are probably no cities where there would be no children and it would seem that the niche would be relevant in any city, but, unfortunately, this is not entirely true. We will identify the negative aspects when analyzing the target audience.

The target audience

The target audience of the children's cafe is adult men and women over 23 years old with children over 2 years old. But the big problem is that not all people go to cafes.

In small towns, wages are low, and accordingly, the solvency of the population also remains low. Therefore, in order to save money on important purchases, people do not go not only to children's cafes, but also to cafes in general. This is a serious problem that can jeopardize the success of your project.

Will there be demand?

At the planning stage, it is difficult to say whether there will be demand for your establishment. There’s definitely no point in opening a children’s cafe in a very small town with a population of 50,000 people, because the profit will be very small.

To somehow determine whether there will be demand, you can use the service from Yandex wordstat.yandex.ru In it we simply enter the phrase “Children's cafe” and look at the statistics by region. If the number of requests in your city is more than 100, then we can assume that the business will be in demand.

Also, you can evaluate the competition. If there are already children’s cafes in your city, then there is a demand and you can safely open your own business.

Costs and profits of a children's cafe

To effectively implement a project, it is imperative to draw up a business plan. And pay special attention to calculating project income and expenses. The article provides approximate amounts, since each project is individual - the amount of investment depends on the price level in the city, the scale of the project, the concept of the establishment, etc.

Calculation of initial investment

Thus, opening a restaurant will require about 1.2 million rubles. In addition to the initial investment, you need to plan your monthly expenses. On average, they will amount to 530 thousand rubles.

Calculation of monthly expenses

These are averages that you should focus on. Now you can calculate your approximate revenue. Let us immediately note that planning catering income is quite difficult. Therefore, the profit amounts are approximate. It is advisable to plan revenue volumes by month to take into account the dynamics of the indicator. At the start, revenue is always lower - it takes the establishment 3-4 months to promote itself and gain an audience. At first, you will have to work on your behalf, actively advertise, attract visitors with profitable promotions and free events. But with the right approach, your efforts will yield appropriate results.

Let's determine the approximate amount of revenue. In the calculations, we will assume that the daily attendance of the establishment is about 50 people per day. On weekdays, attendance will be lower, and on weekends it will be higher - usually 1.5-2 times. Let's consider the option of a small cafe, where the average check per visitor is 500 rubles. Then the revenue will be 25 thousand rubles per day, and per month – 750 thousand rubles.

Now let's calculate the profit for the month:

Net profit = 50×500×30 – 530,000 = 220,000 (rubles).

Of course, one cannot expect such a volume of profit from the very first months of work. But in the future, it is quite possible to reach this level, which will allow the initial investment to recoup within 8-10 months. For the catering industry, a normal indicator is the payback period of 1-1.5 years.

Opening plan

After the analysis, we must prepare a business plan for the future children's cafe with calculations of all expenses and approximate revenue.

Project Summary:

• City: St. Petersburg
• Room area - 150 sq.m.
• Number of game rooms - 1
• Target audience: parents with children aged 2 years and older
• Demand according to Yandex - more than 3,000 requests per month

Step 1: Search for premises

First, let's find a room. For our needs, we will need approximately 150 sq.m. so that we can place a kitchen, a children's playground and an area with tables.

Of course, the premises should be located in the city center in a public area. We strongly discourage placing in courtyards and on second lines. The sign of your children's cafe itself will attract customers passing by, so this is very important.

The rental cost in our case will be approximately 160,000 rubles.

Step 2: Room renovation

We will not be doing the design of our family cafe ourselves, so a specialist will be hired for these needs. Design cost 1 sq.m. 600 rubles, in our case the cost of the entire project will be 90,000 rubles. The purchase of materials and the work of contractors will cost a total of 1,500,000 rubles.

Don't forget that you can try to negotiate a rental holiday with the owner of the premises. That is, during the renovation you will not pay rent for the premises.

Step 3: Business Registration

The next step is to register our business. If you open it alone, then an individual entrepreneur is suitable for you. In the event that a business is opened with a partner, we recommend choosing an LLC.

Step 4: Installation of equipment and furniture

The set of equipment for a children's cafe is essentially no different from the usual. Except that the dishes and furniture should be slightly different, but we talked about this at the beginning of the article.

In total, the equipment will cost approximately 2,050,000 rubles. This amount can be reduced if you buy used or Chinese items, but we do not recommend this. The quality from China leaves much to be desired, and used equipment can fail too quickly.

Step 5: Hiring Staff

Our family cafe will require a fairly large staff. A key factor in recruiting staff will be their love for children. Children will constantly run around the playroom, scream, etc. A huge number of people cannot stand this, so it is advisable to choose employees who already have experience interacting with children.

In addition to the standard set of staff, you will need an animator who will entertain children during the holidays. It is not necessary to hire him as a staff member if holding children's parties is not in great demand.

Step 6: Attracting Clients

A children's cafe is a fairly simple niche in terms of marketing. We can use all the tools on the market:

• Targeted advertising;
• Contextual advertising;
• Social media;
• Etc.

Be sure to order website development and create communities on social networks. The site will cost approximately 40,000 rubles, and you can create communities for free yourself.

1-2 weeks before the grand opening, conduct a large-scale advertising campaign on the Internet. To somehow attract customers, you can create a promotion “First week after opening with discounts on all dishes!”

In the future, we recommend spending 10-15 thousand rubles monthly to attract clients. Also, do not forget that you need to collect a client base, namely, digitize all possible information about clients. For example, when you offer to issue a club card, you receive a huge amount of information about your client: Name, phone number, e-mail. In the future, this information can be used to re-attract the client to your establishment.

Advertising for a children's cafe

In order to reach the declared revenue volumes, it is necessary to invest in an advertising campaign at the initial stage and think about how to effectively use marketing tools:

• a memorable name, attractive design and corporate identity can distinguish you in the market;
• outdoor advertising: banners, advertising in transport and elevators, on bulletin boards in establishments where the target audience is present (kindergartens, schools, children's sections, etc.);
• distribution of flyers and leaflets in public places;
• advertising on the Internet: creating a business card website and its promotion, maintaining a group on social networks, articles in city online publications and forums, on guide sites;
• participation in city events: catering for events, sponsorship, fairs, etc.;
• flexible system of discounts: accumulative system, various promotions, happy hours;
• a well-designed entertainment program that may interest visitors;
• creative promotional videos about the establishment in the cinema;
• a quality product and service that will provide a positive effect from word of mouth.

It is recommended to launch promotion shortly before the opening of the cafe in order to gain an audience.