Sarah Bakkum likes to take her family out for dinner. Like many parents, she and her husband have always enjoyed going out to eat—no prep work, no dishes to wash and tasty food. But when she had kids, she found that going out became much more of an ordeal. “There weren’t any restaurants I could bring my kids to,” says Bakkum. “We wanted good, healthy food and a safe play space, so why couldn’t we combine the two?”
Bakkum, with her experience as a teacher, believed she was up to the task—and created the Play and Learn Café in Minnetonka. Her goal? “That [parents] leave refreshed, the kids have fun, they got their break, and they got their meal.” Serving ages eight and under, the Play and Learn Café offers a staffed playground, Language Sprouts classes for kids in Chinese, Spanish and Hebrew, yoga, and music with Brighter Minds Music. Bakkum recommends grip socks for kids and regular socks for adults—and if your family is planning on heading in around lunchtime, know what you’re going to order beforehand, since it will be a bit busy.
