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Sunny Village Cafe featuring play space for small children opening this spring in Jefferson Park
by BRIAN NADIG
A cafe with a play area for children up to age 6 is planning to open this spring at 5918 W. Lawrence Ave. in Jefferson Park.
“I thought this was a need for small children in the area,” Sunny Village Cafe owner and local resident Georgena Hurst said. “What I’m hoping is to create a place that is comfortable for them and their families.”
About half of the 2,000-square-foot Sunny Village Cafe will be designated as play space, featuring a “custom-made el train playhouse,” Hurst said. A grocery store and other play items also are planned, with some areas periodically changing, she said.
Adults experience “a huge life change” when they have children, Hurst said, and as a mother of two young children she hopes Sunny Village will serve as a gathering place for families to meet and network and to hold birthday parties and other private events.
The cafe also will include a designated nursing area for moms.
The cafe will team up with a local roaster and area bakeries to provide a.variety beverages, pastries and snacks, “including good quality coffee” that will attract patrons who just want to pick up something to drink, Hurst said. “If we can expand our menu (over time), that’d be great,” she said.
The storefront was previously home to a beauty supply shop and is located along a stretch of Lawrence where several new businesses are planned. In the works are a new Filipino restaurant, a dinner-theater bar and a small grocery store.
“The (location) was a really important factor to balance time with business and family,” Hurst said. “I live less than a 10-minute walk.”
As for the cafe’s name, Hurst said, “It is something I thought about for a long time. (Our logo has) a happy, warm and inviting … 60s, 70s vibe.”
There will be a fee for use of the play space, with memberships available.
The cafe is tentatively set to open in April.
For updates on the cafe, Hurst asks that residents visit www.sunnyvillagecafe.com or follow on Instagram @sunnyvillagecafe
“I’m hoping to recruit some families from the neighborhood in the coming weeks to help me with taste testing our menu items and … spread the word about our space. There also will be opportunities for free play passes and memberships. If people are interested, they should follow my Instagram or sign up for e-mail updates,” Hurst said.
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