Minden’s newest entrepreneur, Emma Graves, said she felt right at home the first time she walked through the doors of the recently-opened Little Beans Play Café – so much so, she’s struck a deal to purchase the business.
Located at 101 Bobcaygeon Rd., in the spot that last housed Beauty Basics, the play café for young families opened in early November. It was the brainchild of Janelle Nesbitt, a nurse at the Haliburton hospital.
About 10 weeks on from launching the business, Nesbitt said she will be taking a backseat after selling to Graves, to focus on her full-time career.
“The café was inspired by my own experience as a parent and nurse – I saw such a need for a welcoming space where parents could slow down, connect and enjoy good coffee while their little ones felt truly included,” Nesbitt said.
While there are spaces for adults to mingle, the selling feature of the space is the programming, toys and activities geared towards children. There’s also a space in the back for nursing and changing.
In designing the layout, Nesbitt said she wanted to make it, “feel calm, rather than overstimulating. The goal was to make Little Beans Café feel like a second home.”
Graves said that was the feeling she got on her first visit with her eight-month-old daughter. She took out a membership right away and began visiting the café daily. When Nesbitt made it clear she was planning to sell, Graves and a friend were her first call.
“I couldn’t be happier about [Emma taking over]. She shares the same heart for the space and community and I know the café will continue to thrive under her care,” Nesbitt said.
Working in human resources for most of her adult life, Graves said she took a break in 2024 and went to work at Compass Early Learning. She got pregnant within months – her fourth child, with others aged 18, 16 and 14. She said this gives her a good perspective on the types of programming parents may want to see introduced.
The café is open seven days per week – Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. She sells memberships for unlimited play, which includes specialized programming on Tuesdays (infant circle), Wednesdays (music and movement) and Thursdays (stories and songs).
Graves said there’s no limit to the kinds of things she can host – childrens’ dance classes launched earlier this month, so too a book club for parents. There’s also a board game night on Mondays (5 to 6 p.m.).
There’s educational programming too. On Jan. 28, local midwife Annalee Winter gave a talk about navigating the fourth trimester – the three-month period after childbirth.
On Feb. 10, certified child sleep consultant Joelle Hill will unpack healthy sleeping habits for infants. On Feb. 14, there will be a collaboration with the Haliburton County Folk Society, with Anna Morgan performing.
After moving to Haliburton County in 2017, Graves said her goal now is to give back to the community she says has offered so much over the past nine years.
“I want this space to be everything the community needs it to be – I see so much potential here,” she said. “The response since this place opened has been huge.
“We’re doing as many different things as we can right now to see what’s successful and what isn’t. We definitely want to be here for the long haul,” Graves added.
