Large photos of Isaac, Jackson, Lilly Kate and Victor Sackett brighten North Canton's Four Kids Coffee. The children inspired the coffeehouse-meets-kids-playroom concept that has created a buzz since its October opening.
"You don't want to have parents really feeling guilty because they've left their kids someplace else," says Catherine Sackett, who owns Four Kids with her husband, Jason.
So about a quarter of the coffee shop is devoted to a supervised, soundproof play space, where for $6.50 an hour kids can enjoy toys, musical instruments and a reading area.
A second kitchen was also added to produce gluten- and allergen-free products after Lilly Kate was diagnosed with severe food allergies. So Four Kids cooks up vegetarian and vegan fare like three-bean chili and serves up direct-trade coffee from Colombia, El Salvador and other coffee-producing regions.
It's the right place for mom Amy Dalesandro. "There's no other place that you can come and have time to catch up with friends when your kids are being watched."
