Kristi Phillips and Richelle Acker were in a familiar stage of adult sisterhood: Phillips was a new mom stressed about going back to work. Acker was completely burnt out from her corporate job. They were living separate lives in cities far apart, missing each other and feeling isolated.
Then last year, on a trip home for the holidays, they made a decision that terrified them as much as it thrilled them: they were going to open a play café.
“We knew right from the start that we wanted it to be something that catered to the kids and the parents,” Phillips said.
Fast-forward to 2025, and Play-A-Latte in Webster has been open for almost three months.
The aesthetic of Play-A-Latte is pure whimsy, with pastel walls and funky furniture; the sisters have a big pink Christmas tree in their front window covered in sparkling donut-shaped ornaments. On one side, a café serves specialty lattes and pastries. Just through the knee-high gate, a custom-built playroom designed like a tiny town square — doctor’s office, firehouse, classroom — beckons children to explore.
It’s a two-for-one: kids run free while parents get caffeine and a place to sit with other adults.
“We kind of wanted it to be somewhere where they could share those experiences, have a play date, meet up with some friends and have your kids play together while you catch up,” said Acker.
Indoor play places can be a tough business with high startup costs, high overhead and high snot levels. But these indoor playgrounds are essential in Rochester, a town where winter lasts roughly half the year.
“It can be lonely, especially if you’re a new parent,” Acker said.
A handful of new local spots like Play-A-Latte are trying to stand out by creating spaces that aren’t just for kids, but for whole families — spanning ages, needs and abilities. The places that stand out aren’t surviving on necessity alone. They’re aiming for community. They’re offering connection.
“I’ve learned a lot of different parenting techniques from other parents that come in,” Phillips said. “We all kind of rely on each other.”
At Funtastic Adventure Park in Eastview Mall, co-owner Pouya Seifzadeh’s inspiration is close to home: his son.
The brand new facility has trampolines, obstacle courses and a gel blaster arena (somewhere between paintball and laser tag). But unlike many high-adrenaline parks, they’ve intentionally woven in zones for younger kids, including a ball pit and toddler-friendly play areas.
“We understand parents might have younger children that would like to have some form of entertainment,” Seifzadeh said.
He and his wife, Isar Kiani, already own Ontario Play Café in Henrietta and Bounce Hopper in Pittsford, two spaces that cater to littles. Funtastic was their attempt to build something that could grow with their family and everyone else’s.
Their pitch is simple: “We are very age inclusive, family oriented.”
Toddlers get their own play areas, older kids can bounce and blast and parents can see everything from one central vantage point, a small-yet-crucial detail for anyone trying to keep track of more than one child in public.
“We’re very happy that (our son) liked this,” Seifzadeh said. “We hope that this is going to keep him occupied until he goes to college.”
Play Palace in Henrietta takes a different approach: inclusion across all abilities. Owner Kristin Bonn calls it Rochester’s only inclusive play center, and she knows the need firsthand.
“It’s important for me, because I was in the field of special education for over 20 years,” she said. “My students were often left out.”
Bonn created Play Palace so kids wouldn’t have to wait for designated “sensory Sundays” or other special events just to exist comfortably in a play space.
The center features a massive play structure known as “the castle,” complete with swings, climbing walls, trampolines, bungee chairs and ball pits. There are two sensory rooms, an arts and crafts center and a concession stand. It’s less “bounce ‘til you drop” and more “explore at your own pace.”
But for Bonn, the appeal goes beyond the amenities.
“It’s hard enough being a parent,” she said. “But then being a parent to a kid with special needs is difficult. So we’re here to help.”
With many traditional “third spaces” disappearing — and with kids having less freedom to roam — parents are looking for places where both they and their children can coexist with other families. And for parents who are feeling isolated, overwhelmed, under slept and in desperate need of both caffeine and adult conversation, that’s no small gift.
“People come back because they have a community willing to help them.”
