Hudson’s Hangout, a safe play cafe, has opened at 110 S Second St. in Festus, in the space where the Modern Perspectives home decor store used to operate.
Ashley Koseck, 39, of Festus co-owns Hudson’s Hangout with her husband, Jonathan Jones, 39.
Koseck said the cafe is a clean, safe, family-focused play place for young children of all abilities. The cafe has toys, activities and crafts available for children to play with while socializing with each other, she added.
Koseck said she and Jones have three children: Rosemary, 7; Jace, 4; Hudson, 16 months; and are expecting a fourth child in December, adding that Hudson, who has Down syndrome, inspired the couple to open the cafe.
She said the idea for the cafe started as a place for children with special needs to socialize, but then she found children of all abilities needed a safe play space.
The couple announced the opening of the cafe on social media on March 21, which is Down Syndrome Awareness Day, and the cafe opened for guests in April.
Koseck said the cost to drop by Hudson’s Hangout is $8 per day for the first child, and $5 for additional children. A punch card is also available, which allows a child to drop in for 10 visits for $50.
Shoes are not allowed in the play area, and socks must be worn. Parents and guardians must remain at the cafe at all times.
The cafe has free coffee and snacks available for guests but accepts donations for those who want to contribute. The cafe brews coffee from 3.21 Roasting, a Ready to Work Employment Program run by the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis.
The program provides training and support to young adults with Down syndrome and shows them how to roast, grind and package coffee beans.
“It teaches them the skill set that they would need to go into the workforce,” Koseck said.
She said similar establishments exist in south St. Louis County and St. Louis, but there was nothing like it in the Festus area.
With the rising popularity of homeschooling and parents working from home, many people are not leaving their homes as often as they had in the past, which prompted Koseck to offer them a place to go.
She said Hudson’s Hangout has a community resource room that people may use for one-on-one meetings with occupational or speech therapists or others. The cafe also hosts a music therapist and plans to offer sign language classes, special guest readers, Parents as Teachers meetings, family yoga nights, a carnival event and a swap meet.
Koseck said she wants the cafe to be a fun place where children and parents may build relationships and access resources.
She said the cafe has no age restrictions for, but typically families with children 7 and younger use the facility.
“When you find that you’re not enjoying yourself here anymore, then that’s OK. It just may be time to move on,” she said.
Koseck said not only is the cafe a good place for children to socialize, but it’s also a good way for adults to connect.
“When you stay at home as a parent or you have young kids at home, you kind of start feeling secluded a little bit.”
Koseck said the cafe welcomes all types of caregivers, whether they’re moms, dads, grandparents, aunts or uncles, or guardian.
Sometimes children’s spaces feel like they are geared toward mothers, Koseck said, but she wanted Hudson’s Hangout to feel welcoming for everyone.
Jones is a full-time, at-home caregiver for the couple’s three children.
“I feel like with our family dynamic, we’re breaking a lot of stereotypes,” Koseck said.
Koseck said the cafe has held events designed to let men know they are welcome to bring their children, such as Donuts with Dads events.
“It’s inclusive on both levels for the child and the guardian,” she said. “We like to just make it feel safe, welcoming and friendly for everyone. We are really trying to break those stereotypes and educate people. Everybody can play together. It’s important in this age group that playing is learning at this point.”
Jones said he’s enjoyed operating Hudson’s Hangout.
“We’ve had a really good turnout with lots of people supporting us and showing up,” he said.
Jones said that while the Festus area has great outdoor parks, before opening the cafe, he struggled to find indoor play options for his children outside of the public library and the McDonald’s PlayPlace, adding that it made sense to open the cafe.
“I know it’s small but it’s a steppingstone in the right direction. We’ve been getting great feedback from the community. People love it,” he said.
Jones said he enjoys meeting people at the cafe.
“I chitchat with every person that comes in here,” Jones said. “We did this for Hudson, but really, we did it for our whole family. I stay home full time with the kids, and it’s nice to have somewhere to go.”
The cafe is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday and may be rented on the weekends for events. Hudson’s Hangout may be reached at 636-222-7002.