GREAT FALLS — The Honey Hippo Play Café, opening soon in Great Falls, is an indoor playground that doubles as a coffee bar.
Owner Laura Ewalt has been a stay at home mom for the better half of 10 years. Recently, after her son didn’t quite make the age limit for preschool, she decided that now is a better time than ever to open up her own business - a business where she can take her son every day.
“I know as a stay at home mom how hard it is to meet people because you’re at home all the time,” she said.
For several years now Laura’s husband has been urging her to open up a business or try something new - so she decided to combine the two: her love of being a stay at home mom with her need to socialize with other moms.
“I am from a suburb of Las Vegas and there’s plenty of things to do there where you can meet other moms and I just felt like not being from Great Falls it was hard for me to meet people so I wanted to make a place where that could happen.”
Ewalt has high hopes for her business and big plans that she hopes will be able to pull off .
“There are a lot of things that I hope to be able to start like maybe some meet-and-greets where moms can meet other moms with kids the same age,” said Ewalt. “ And we’ve even wanted to do a baby yoga for new mothers to come and just get out of the house.”
Honey Hippo hasn’t even opened its doors yet to the public but has already had a huge buzz.
“Yeah, it seems like the public is pretty excited for us to be open. A lot of them are really expecting us to take off,” noted Ewalt. “ I just hope that my expectations as well as theirs can be met.”
Ewalt originally was hoping to have the business opened in November but due to delays and shortages the opening date continued to be pushed back.
However they are pretty confident that within the new year they will be able to open their doors and playroom.
For more information, click here to visit the website; click here to visit the Facebook page.
Honey Hippo Play Cafe is at 325 1st Avenue North:
