Running A Larger Sized Play Cafe Facility (Along With It's Unique Perks AND Challenges)

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
...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:   / thebusybeeplaycafe  

🎧 Prefer audio? Listen to this episode on the Profitable Play Podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/am/podcast...

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