All of the procedure things we didn't know, was really just the tip of the iceburg of things we would learn. I didn't know we'd become part of people's routines. That we'd learn kids' names before they could pronounce ours. That I'd watch babies take their first wobbly steps in our playroom and then, somehow, blink and see those same kids running through the front door yelling, "Mom! Miss Rachel is here!!"
No one really prepares you for that part of owning a small business.
People talk about profit margins, payroll, marketing, and expansion. They don't tell you that you'll notice when the mom you've seen every Tuesday doesn't come in for a few weeks. They don't tell you that you might be one of the first people to hear about a pregnancy, an IVF journey, a job loss, a new house, or the fact that someone is about to become the first person in their family to graduate college.
So many faces. So many stories.
They don't tell you how exciting it is when a child who used to hide behind their parent's leg suddenly walks in like they own the place.
They definitely don't tell you how attached you'll become to your team and your customers.
Somewhere between the early mornings and late nights, The Mingo stopped feeling like a business we owned and started feeling like a place we simply get to steward.
It's become birthday parties and first playdates. Coffee dates that turned into lifelong friendships. Parents finding community. Grandparents making memories. Moms catching their breath. Kids who ask every morning if today is a "Mingo day."
Those everyday moments have become my favorite part.
When I first dreamed up this place, I thought I was creating somewhere parents could drink good coffee while their kids played. Looking back now, I was creating the space that I needed in my hardest season of motherhood.
There have been hard days over these last two years. Days I've questioned myself. Days I've wondered if opening a second location is crazy (tbh still here some days lol). Days I've been exhausted trying to balance motherhood, marriage, ministry, and business.
And then someone will stop me to tell me they met their best friend here.
Or that this was the first place they felt comfortable leaving the house after having a baby.
Or they'll say, "You have no idea what this place means to us."
The truth is...I usually think, You have no idea how much I needed to hear this today. Usually fighting with everything in me to hold back the tears welling up in my eyes.
If you've ever walked through our doors, whether once or every week, thank you.
Thank you for trusting us with your little people. For letting us be a part of your routine. For letting me sing your children happy birthday (which 2 years later- still makes me emotional every single time). For sharing your celebrations with us. For asking us to pray for you or with you. Thank you for making this dream bigger than I ever imagined it could be.
Here's to another year of sticky fingers, cups of coffee, belly laughs, conversations that last longer than planned, and kids making memories they'll probably never realize they're making.
Because at the end of the day, that's what The Mingo has always been about.
Not just coffee.
Not just play.
But creating a place where life slows down long enough for the moments that matter.
Happy Birthday, Mingo.
#StayPink,
Rachel
Two years ago this week, I stood in our cafe the night before we opened feeling scared and excited and emotional...and every feeling in between.
I wasn't dreaming about thousands of play sessions, hundreds of birthday parties or opening a second location. I was mostly hoping I could figure out how to dial in our espresso machine and not mess up our POS system too much.
We truly had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. With very little experience in the service industry or running a play space, we were doing our best "fake it til you make it" act. And well, I guess it worked!