YOU: DATE. KIDS: SKATE
Starting a brewery is a (usually long, arduous and expensive) process filled with thousands of decisions. Some of those decisions seem impossible, others blindingly obvious. One that was a no-brainer for us was to make Village Days a family-friendly venue with a space dedicated to the youngest members of our ‘village’. Mainly because, as a parent of young kids, I needed something to keep them occupied. But it also went to the heart of what we wanted our venue to be – laidback, welcoming, inclusive, basically the opposite of the pokie-filled gambling dens that pass for pubs these days.
I get so much joy seeing the multi-generational families that pass through our doors in search of great local beer, some pink lemonades and a good time.
Unfortunately our kid’s area can’t quite keep up with the level of excitement it often has to endure. The toys and cubbies need constant replacement – they’re frequently getting trashed (not cool at a brewery tbh) and we don’t want to cause any accidents that we can easily prevent.
So I’ve made another, more difficult decision. I’ve decided to downsize the kid’s area and dedicate a new space for littlies. It’s now a great spot for toddlers to look at books and do some colouring. We also have a range of board and card games to keep the whole family entertained.
As for the bigger kids, I’m excited to announce that we have partnered with our neighbours at Frankie’s Wheels to provide a more suitable arrangement on Saturday evenings (beginning 29 June, additional days of the week may be added depending on uptake). Think indoor soccer, dodgeball, table tennis, air hockey, arcade games – and more. There will be a small charge to cover the cost of dedicated staff but it will be well worth it for a few hours of peace and quiet (and beer!) for mum and dad. You date, big kids skate, happy Days.
I want to underline that our values have not changed. We are still a family-friendly venue! Parents, bring your kids – mine will still be spending half their lives at the brewery. If you have any ideas for other awesome ways to keep the kids happy, we’re always up for a chat.
As for the former kids’ area? We’ve been working on an exciting transformation. The pool table has already been a big hit and Foxtel is up and running, so next time there is a big game on come on in and enjoy it along with some award-winning local beer!
Cheers,
Dan, Founder
