00:00 Okay, so Gaz and Steph, we're here at Little Brown Mouse Cafe and Play area.
00:06 It's incredibly successful obviously, I can tell from just looking around and walking about.
00:11 It's been hard work.
00:12 Yeah, but I was going to say, it hasn't always been the case has it?
00:15 So just tell me how you started.
00:17 We started just as the Covid restrictions started getting lifted really.
00:22 But we had to be aware of face coverings and there was the minimum, or the maximum number rather,
00:28 of six people per family, parties wasn't allowed, balloons wasn't allowed,
00:33 all those things to take for granted today really.
00:37 And gradually the government worked harder and we started relaxing those measures.
00:42 We'd be able to introduce more toys, soft furnishings,
00:46 soft toys for children to be able to play with,
00:48 where if those were banned it was hard furnished for them.
00:50 So during Covid, was there any point where you just thought, what are we doing?
00:54 Should we just give it a rest?
00:55 Every day to be honest with you.
00:56 Really?
00:57 Yeah, you just wake up and think, what's in store today?
00:59 And what have we got ourselves into?
01:01 Is this going to work as a new business?
01:03 But you just have to keep working harder, fighting and building a relationship with your customers
01:09 and families that have come here.
01:10 So what would you say gave you that passion just to carry on and not give up?
01:13 Just seeing those children coming back all the time.
01:15 The children coming back, playing.
01:16 Getting to know the families, getting to know the mums, the dads, the nans.
01:20 It's lovely just to see those families coming in, grandparents coming in, reading books together, playing.
01:26 It just makes you want to just close the door and come back the next day.
01:29 You always have problems along the way.
01:31 You have problems every day, don't you?
01:33 But seeing those families coming in, you get to know their name and the children come up and say,
01:37 "Gaz, can I have some squash?" or "Steph, can I have a cheese sandwich?"
01:41 It's just nice to have that relationship with them.
01:43 Yeah, absolutely.
01:44 So, what kind of tips would you give to people who are thinking of starting a business?
01:50 We've always wanted to do this for a long, long time.
01:54 Our family commitments, they kind of, not got in the way, but they steered us in different directions.
01:59 And it was just waiting for the right time as a family and as a couple,
02:03 with the finances and things like that.
02:05 You have to prioritize your family.
02:06 But if you've got a dream, I would just say go for it.
02:08 Absolutely.
02:09 The worst you could do is say it didn't work and you go back to whatever you wanted to do previously.
02:14 And it's obviously really successful now.
02:16 It's really popular.
02:18 Have you got any plans for the future? Expand or new policies?
02:21 We're trying to keep it fairly small at the moment.
02:24 We've got a really nice kind of customer base, with customers and families that we know.
02:30 We don't want to be one of those big franchises where you lose that personal touch.
02:36 When you officially can't man your own places, you lose that quality really.
02:42 That's why people come to us, they like that personal touch.
02:45 Fantastic. Well, good luck for the future anyway. I'm sure you don't need it.
02:47 Thank you, I appreciate it.
02:48 Thank you very much.
02:50 Windy back kick it, windy back kick it.
02:54 So Kelly, you've come all the way from Birmingham today, just to come here in Cannock.
03:02 What gave you the idea and what's the reason?
03:05 I just saw loads of really good reviews on Facebook.
03:08 It just looks like a really nice cafe to go to.
03:12 We came once a couple of weeks ago and just loved it. It was just the right sort of thing for this age of age.
03:19 It's just a nice homely feel.
03:22 And it's just great, it's got a great bow to it.
03:28 So what do you think it is? What is it about the place that makes you want to come back?
03:32 It's just a nice size.
03:34 We've got nice food, coffees, and just a nice little soft play.
03:39 And then we've got the role play bit as well, which is nice.
03:42 It's not too busy where it can get a bit chaotic.
03:45 It's taken to the big soft plays, which is all over the world.
03:49 And it's loud and stuff. But here it's just nice.
03:53 So you'll definitely be coming back again?
03:55 Yeah, definitely.
03:56 Because we do birthday parties as well, so maybe even having a birthday party could make you just feel good.
04:02 Excellent, excellent.
04:04 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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