There is a common saying “Be the change that you want to see in the world,” which is the motivation behind Thressa Nichols’ recently opened Recess Work & Play Café.
Nichols said that the idea her idea for her new café came “out of parental frustration that there was nowhere to go and do all of the things that I wanted to do.”
The mother of two was frustrated by the problem of still loving Ann Arbor and wanting to go out, but she couldn’t find many public places that were specifically for families with young children. Anything breakable was out, and a bar was not a good idea. There were cafés, but they were for adults; and while children were allowed, it was an awkward fit. So what would happen if she opened a café that was for café-loving parents with small children, who wanted a safe and welcoming place for them to play while they were enjoying the café scene that downtown Ann Arbor is famous for?
“You migrate from not having kids and doing whatever you want whenever you want to do it, and then you go to having kids and it introduces a new level of complexity, where you are constantly contingent upon your surroundings. You need to either have childcare, or to be in an environment where everybody is tolerant, or you have to be in a space where you’re not surrounded by breakable things,” Nichols explained. “But on the flip side, you love your kids, and you don’t want them to feel like [they’re] a nuance, but you want to also be yourself. I felt like there was no intersection that provided all of that in one location.”
But now there is an ideal third place for both children and their parents to socialize. Recess Work & Play Café is at 208 South Ashley Street. The light and airy, exposed brick space is split roughly into two areas. The larger half has the coffee bar, and oversized and comfortable, but supportive armchairs near the Victorian era windows facing east.
As Nichols’ website explains, “A third place is a location other than home (1st place) or work (2nd place), where people go to spend time and engage with their community.”
At the back is an oversized area separated from the front by a short railing. Inside, children will find a wide variety of fun. Nichols says that one parent said that it felt like a “high-end McDonald’s Play Place.” But Nichols says she doesn’t care for that description “because I don’t see us as particularly high-end. I think of us as very approachable and welcoming. I grew up from pretty humble roots, and so I don’t think of anything I make as especially high-end, more high-quality.”
The smaller part of Recess Work & Play Café is on the other side of a wood and glass partition. It consists of more tables and chairs; creating what feels more like a restaurant than the larger lounge and play area.
The five food options are made off site and can be microwaved warm if desired. The ham and potato quiche they have available is delicious and has a texture-rich crust.
Food options range $2 to $10. The cheapest thing on the menu is applesauce, followed by a “snack pack” of dried cherries and gold fish. The most expensive food item is a charcuterie board.
Their coffee game is also strong—especially for parents fond of a latte or two. Caffeinated drinks or milk range from $2 to $5.75. Non-dairy milk is available. Nichols is currently in the process of making sure that gluten free options are available as well.
For adults, there are five wine options to choose from; with prices going from $10 to $14 per glass, or $40 to $62 per bottle. They have five canned alcoholic drinks, including the mead from the nearby Bløm Mead + Cider. They also have three non-alcoholic, non-coffee options—two from Dram and one Fizzy hibiscus Sparkling Drink. Prices for those go from $4.50 to $7.50 each.
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There is additionally a glass phone booth intended for parents who need to make a Zoom meeting or work phone call. If you ask, a staff member can be assigned to keep an eye on your child while you’re in there.
Interestingly, Nichols said that it is also useful for children who are in the middle of a meltdown. When that happens, they can be simply scooched into the box and have a safe, low sensory overload, and secure place to calm down in, without bothering anyone else. Some mothers also use that area to breastfeed, according to Nichols.
Recess Work & Play Café is open from 9am to 7pm on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, and from 9am to 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays. They are not open on Monday or Tuesday.
“We’re looking for people who want to offer a yoga class, or a kids music class, but couldn’t afford to rent space downtown. We’ve been opening up our space to them for free. They’re not employed by us, but they can offer classes out of our space,” Nichols says. “A great problem to have would be that we’re so overrun with people who want to use the space for their classes that a paid model makes sense. But right now, we just want more people enjoying the space. So, if they have a skill that I don’t have, and they’re willing to share it with people, I’m happy with that.”
