Today we’d like to introduce you to Joanne Coval.
Joanne, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When our family first moved to North San Diego in 2004, we immediately fell in love with the community, the people and so many of the wonderful pastimes the area afforded us. At some point, we started looking for indoor places where our children could expend their energies in a healthy and engaging environment. What we were seeking was a place that provided non-junk food options for all of us, kept the space clean and made it fun for the kids without making the parents feel like uncomfortable spectators. When we couldn’t find a place that met those standards, we felt almost compelled to bring that kind of experience to the community we had come to love so much. And four years later, PlayWerx was born.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Any small business owner can attest to the fact that there are always plenty of bumps in the road. For us it was three years of hard work from initial conception to opening the doors. This included putting together our business plan, obtaining financing (lots of rejections!) sourcing our equipment, suppliers and contractors, finding a suitable space. This was particularly challenging in North County given that we needed a warehouse type building in an area zoned for our type of use.
Please tell us about PlayWerx.
PlayWerx is a children’s indoor play center open to all without need for reservations or memberships. We host birthday parties and special events year-round. In addition to our enormous indoor play structure we have an onsite cafe and coffee bar. What originally was intended to be a small snack bar has morphed into a wholesome, healthy, organic cafe and gourmet coffee bar.
Our mission was to provide a safe, clean, healthy environment for the children in our community to play, plus provide a great place for parents to take a break, get together with friends and have a great cup of coffee while their children play.
We are most proud of our unwavering commitment to the community. All of the staff of PlayWerx are very invested in the success of PlayWerx and it shows.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My most favorite memory is from the time spent living just outside L.A. during my elementary school days. We lived in a neighborhood that was small, fairly rural and full of kids and we literally would be gone all day playing. Once it started to get dark I could hear my Dad’s voice echoing down the street, from wherever we were, saying it was time to come home….and we did! Dirty, hungry and tired – it was the best!
Contact Info:
- Address: 6060 Avenida Encinas
- Website: www.playwerx.com
- Phone: 760-804-1600
- Instagram: PlayWerx
- Facebook: PlayWerx
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
