SERIOUS PLAY AREAS

[LEEHUSTON]

I am considering putting a large play area on the front of my store like the ones that McDonalds and Burger King and some other fast food outfits have used. Has anyone ever considered spending some serious money on a professionally installed, safe, playground like this to draw the parents so they can let the kids play while they do laundry. Everybody knows that the kids are a pain in the laundry, and who can blame the kids, it is boring as hell! I talked to a manufacturer of these play areas and they told me that millions are spent every year on these by many restaurants. If these companies are putting out this kind of money, there must be something to it. Yea, it will cost about $20 or $30 grand to do it right, but if I can get 10% more revenue... could be worth it.

[Marianne]

The kids direct a lot of their mother's choices. Years ago I purchased a small rug with a pattern indicating a town with roads, buildings, etc. The kids began to demand that they go to the laundromat with the rug. Parents brought toy vehicles for the kids to push around the 'roads.'

Since then I have found lots of other ways to entertain the kids under 8 or so but older ones want play that is too strenuous for inside the laundromat. Your idea could work with those kids.

[SecretarytoBraveDave]

We remodeled an old storage room off the main laundry room. We added a corner tv unit, wall to wall chalkboard, lots of toys. This room is in addition to an area for video games.

We found the kids rarily used the room. We had great toys, the chalkboard and kids cartoons, nothing seemed to entice them. They destroyed or stole most of our stuff. It was a child friendly addition. The cost of the room, and the kids not utilizing it irritated me immensly. A 400 square foot room, not making any money.

We have since turned the room, into a "family room" We added a vinyl couch and chair, pool table, foosball table, 27inch tv and the wall to wall chalkboard. Families love the addition. We did nothing else to the room, but added the pool table and games at no cost to us. We gain fifty % of the total sales. The couch and chair cost an extra 150. 25-30grand on a play ground? The idea sounds great, but infortuantely, people don't appreciate much. I think you could scale your idea way down, and have something fun for your customers children. And one very big concern............liability insurance. Good luck.