A fun new concept for indoor play is coming to the Lynchburg area. The Pink Flamingo Play Café opens for business on Saturday, July 13.
The Pink Flamingo is a coffee shop and children's play area, lovingly designed by owners Rachel Queen and her mom, Cheri Distefano.
The idea for The Pink Flamingo was born from loss. Queen suffered a miscarriage when her first child was nine month old and she found herself in a dark place mentally.
Queen's therapist suggested that she should get out of the house every day and connect with other young moms, but that's not easy while raising a young child and grieving.
After talking with her entrepreneur parents, Queen decided to create the kind of place she envisioned -- somewhere for parents to connect and children to play. Nearly two years later, Queen's dream is a reality.
Queen shared the story of the Pink Flamingo's name.
"There's this thing with flamingos that, when they become parents, they actually turn white for about two years because they give so much of themselves to their chicks that they are quite literally depleted of their nutrients," Queen said.
Queen feels that parents can relate to the story about flamingos as they raise their children.
Queen continued, "Within those early childhood rearing years, you give so much of yourself to your children that you might lose a little bit of what makes you, you."
Queen hopes that The Pink Flamingo can help parents find balance and friendship and 'stay pink' as they raise their children.
"We hope that The Pink Flamingo is a place where you can come, grab a cup of coffee, connect with other people in that same stage of life, and start to feel pink again," she said.
The cafe in the front of the store is warm and inviting, with pink decor and flamingos, a cute seating area, and baristas waiting to create your favorite specialty drink.
The play area behind the counter has places for parents to relax, and is a child's dream indoor play space. There's a climbing structure, train table, dinosaur table, and a large slide structure suitable for children of all ages.
The play area also features multiple child-sized themed play stations, including a diner, hospital, police station, supermarket, hot rod shop, and more, each with toys and props for children to enjoy make believe free play.
You can check out our video of The Pink Flamingo Play Café on our Facebook page.
The play cafe is geared to children ages six months to eight years, their parents and caregivers.
During business hours, employees will clean, sanitize, and organize toys between play sessions. Queen said that each play session will begin with all toys in place, ready for children to play.
The party room in the back of the building seats up to 25 children and can be reserved for birthday parties and other occasions.
The ribbon cutting takes place on July 13 at 8 a.m. with one hour play time slots scheduled all day on Saturday. There will be vendors on site on Saturday, too.
All play slots have been reserved for the first day; however, you're welcome to stop by and grab a cup of coffee, specialty drink, or yummy treat. There's a special discount on memberships during the grand opening and you can purchase gift cards too.
Plan ahead for play time starting Monday, July 15. Queen recommends scheduling play times in advance. Walk-ins are also welcome as space permits.
Like many indoor play places, shoes aren't permitted at The Pink Flamingo, but socks are required.
The Pink Flamingo Play Café is located at 14805 Forest Road, Ste 101 in the Kroger shopping center in Forest. Regular hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Private parties can be scheduled on Sundays or after hours on regular business days.
You can reserve advance play times for your child, and learn more about pricing, memberships, and parties at https://pinkflamingoplaycafe.com/