Play cafe has dual menu
A stay-at-home mom opened a new business designed to give young children a place to have fun and parents an outlet for conversation and relaxation.
Nibbles' Play Cafe, at 13 Huntington Lane in Wheeling, serves as a restaurant targeting parents with children younger than 6.
Kathleen Weinberg of Northbrook launched the business in an effort to fill a gap in the area. About half of the facility is devoted to a play area designed by an early childhood education specialist.
"The free play area promotes learning," Weinberg said.
The Belly Babies area is equipped with bright, colorful, cushy mats and tunnels, for the non-walker. A Pretend Play area is equipped with dress-up clothes and lifestyle props for children to create their own stories.
Other highlights include a train table, craft spot, face-painting area and a sand and water play area. She noted that the play areas are supervised and a special focus is placed on cleaning the toys after they have been used.
The business is equipped with a sound system for musicians and storytellers to entertain children.
Admission is $7.50 per child.
While children are playing, stay-at-home moms and dads can watch as they enjoy a cup of coffee or lunch from a French-style menu.
A popular menu item is the roasted vegetable and goat cheese ciabatta sandwich with a side of Nibbles' sweet pea salad. It sells for $7.75. The ham and Swiss cheese sandwich topped with apple slaw is another favorite, along with the spring asparagus soup.
Specialty coffee drinks are served using the Intelligentsia coffee line. The same Chicago company also supplies tea.
The children's menu is made up of an assortment of items including build your own sandwiches, made with or without crusts, served with fruit and baked smiley face fries. Selling for $4, it comes with juice or milk.
Weinberg said she designed the business with an environmentally friendly initiative. For instance, the floors and trim are made of bamboo, the walls are partially covered with cork and real dishes are used.
Weinberg, 48, was a social worker focusing on children with special needs before she left her career to raise her children. She and her husband, Aaron, a retina ophthalmologist, have two children, Isaac, 8, and Sami, 12.
The new cafe, open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, is also starting to host children's birthday parties on the weekends as well as family events and gatherings.
For more information, call (847) 229-0440 or check out www.nibblesplaycafe.com.
Disney fun: Disney Art Director Toby Bluth will present "The Magic of Disney Art" in a live presentation at AnimationArt.com in Woodfield Shopping Center. The event takes place from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. May 3. Bluth will present his latest limited edition giclee, "The Lost Soup Scene," a deluxe remarqued print edition of only 20 images done exclusively for AnimationArt.com.