The Profitable Play Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with CarlyAnn and Justin, the husband-and-wife team behind EverPlay Village. We go beyond the opening story and dive into the systems, revenue streams, and mindset that have helped them build a thriving family business. BLOG for this episode: https://www.michelecaruana.com/blog/everplay-village-ep366 In this episode, we discuss: How they identified a gap in their market...

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Amber, owner of Press Play Café in Ontario, Canada. Even though her business has been open for less than a year, she’s already learned so many valuable lessons about operations, staffing, café sales, birthday parties, memberships, accessibility, and community-building. We talk about: Construction delays and what pushed back their opening Pitching landlords and inv...

In this episode of The Profitable Play Podcast, I’m joined by Nick Veneris, Email Marketing Expert at Aluvii, for a conversation all about email marketing, automation, and how indoor playground and play café owners can turn the customer data they already have into more bookings and repeat visits. One thing I really want to emphasize upfront: this conversation is NOT platform specific. Even though...

Google updated its review policies in April 2026—and many of the strategies play café and indoor playground owners have relied on for years are now considered violations. BLOG for this episode: https://www.michelecaruana.com/blog/new-google-review-rules In this episode, I break down what actually changed, what’s now banned (including incentivized reviews, in-person asks, and review gating), and ho...

In this episode of the Profitable Play Podcast, I sit down with Kate, the owner of Sunshine Indoor Play in Lake Havasu City, Arizona—an indoor playground and play café that has evolved into a true community hub for moms and families. BLOG for this episode: https://www.michelecaruana.com/blog/non-profit-play-cafe Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HwetKpdryvQ Kate shares how she built a multi-reven...

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...

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 rec...

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 w...

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...

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 op...

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://you...

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 M...

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 b...

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. I...

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 h...

Every year (since 2019!), I release a trends episode for the indoor playground and play café industry — and this year, there was simply too much to cover responsibly in a single episode. BLOG For this episode: https://www.michelecaruana.com/blog/2026-play-cafe-trends As I reviewed what I shared in my 2025 trends video (linked below) alongside what I’ve been seeing all year in Play Maker Society, m...

As I wrap up 2025, I wanted to record an episode that goes deeper than trends (but YES, my annual trends prediction is coming up next!)— because what I’m seeing across the industry right now isn’t necessarily a lack of ideas. It’s a lack of foundations. BLOG for this episode After a full year of interviewing indoor playground and play café owners, working through countless 1:1 sessions, and suppor...

In this episode, I sit down with Jayci , owner of Tiny Play Café , for a thoughtful, experience-based conversation about what it looks like to operate a play café several years into the business. Jayci shares how her café fits into the overall revenue picture, including how the café itself contributes to monthly sales and why local B2B sponsorships have become a meaningful and reliable part of her...

Most indoor playground and play café owners don’t need more ideas going into a new year — they need better execution on the ones they already have. In this episode, I break down exactly how I’m using AI right now to help my indoor playground business owner clients review numbers, tighten systems, and remove the operational friction that quietly drains time and profit. This isn’t about trends or te...

If your Black Friday weekend fell flat or December sales feel slower than expected, this episode is for you. In this episode, I share proven, mid-December strategies that boost revenue quickly and with minimal stress. From annual membership offers to 2025 party pricing, holiday break camps, summer camp gift cards, retail live sales, low-lift holiday events, and more — you’ll learn exactly what wor...

In today’s episode of The Profitable Play Podcast, I’m joined by Justine, the owner of Liv and Mimi’s Play Café, who is now two years into her business journey. WATCH on YouTube (plus get a tour of Justine's retail section: https://youtu.be/BpxtDLo8SNIz) If you’re inside Play Maker Society, you already know how thoughtful and generous she is with her real-world experience—and today she’s sharing i...

In this episode, I’m sharing the exact tough-love truth I give my one-on-one clients inside Play Cafe Academy and Playmaker Society—the things I say privately that genuinely help people avoid incredibly expensive, stressful, and sometimes irreversible mistakes when opening an indoor playground or play café. This audio is pulled directly from a YouTube video I recently published, and I wanted to sh...

Year 1 Of Opening A Play Cafe With Jessalyn Pustay From The Playroom West Virginia! This interview is also available on YouTube as a video here! You can also get a summary of this episode on our blog here! In today’s episode, I’m talking with The Playroom owner Jessalyn Pustay about her first year in business and the lessons she learned while creating a high-quality play and programming space in W...

In this bonus episode, I’m breaking down a tough but important truth about holiday retail: parents aren’t loyal to Amazon—they’re loyal to convenience. If you want families in your community to “shop small” with your indoor playground or play cafe business, you have to make buying from your business as simple and friction-free as possible. I walk through exactly how indoor playground owners can st...

In this episode, I’m sharing the simplest, most profitable holiday events you can add to your calendar — even in the middle of the December chaos. These ideas are designed to increase revenue, visibility, and loyalty without overwhelming you or your team. BLOG for this episode I talk about why you don’t need to compete with free community events, why age-specific offerings (especially for babies)...