March Updates
Thressa in the space
I can’t tell you how excited I am to finally be writing this newsletter—this has been years in the making! When I first dreamed up Recess Cafe, I was feeling deeply connected to my kids, a little isolated from the world, and hopeful that others might be craving the same kind of space I was. I longed for a place where I could exist seamlessly with my children, friends, partner, and career. My hope is that Recess Cafe becomes that space for you, too.
Who am I?
I’m Thressa! Mom to two kids (1 and 5), deeply in love with them, and excited to create something special for other families. My background is in tech and startups, and I work remotely. I’m also a founding member of Shine and Rise, a women-in-business group with over 500 members in Southeast Michigan, and I serve on the Ann Arbor DDA board. I love walking my daughter to school at Bach in the morning, taking our corgi Sandwich to the parks, enjoying Ann Arbor’s cafes and coworking spots, and people-watching on game days.
What is Recess Cafe?
Recess Cafe is designed to be a “third place” for families—not home, not work, but a warm, inviting space where families can gather, relax, and enjoy their time together.
Here’s what you can expect:
A full-service cafe featuring Hyperion Coffee (shoutout to them for being the most patient, helpful, and kind coffee roasters around!), plus a mix of in-house and locally sourced snacks and pastries. And if all goes according to plan, a light adult drink menu!
A variety of seating options, including cozy chairs, couches, tables, and a laptop bar overlooking the playscape.
A private phone booth with a view of the play area—because sometimes you need a quiet moment.
An event space with both shared and private entrances, comfortably seating around 40 people. It’s perfect for baby showers, birthdays, networking events, support groups, and anything else our community can think up.
A thoughtfully designed playscape with two sections: one for kids under six, featuring a loft that overlooks the cafe and a play kitchen underneath, and another for younger children with soft play elements.
How does it work?
Recess Cafe is a pay-to-play cafe. This means that children 12 months and older require a paid play pass to access the play area. While your little ones play, you can grab a coffee, connect with other parents, or join in on the fun. To clarify: grown-ups must stay on-site and remain responsible for their children—but beyond that, make yourself at home!
Our team will be on hand to run the cafe, monitor the play area, keep everything clean, and even additional oversight of our younger patrons.
What’s the timeline?
We break ground on March 1st! During this time, we’ll be building out the cafe, playscape, and an additional ADA-compliant bathroom. We’ll also be ramping up our website, diving into the world of social media, and connecting with local vendors and organizations who want to collaborate with us.
Staffing and operations will also take shape during this period. We anticipate that different times of day and week will require varying levels of play area supervision, and we’ll adjust as we go to best serve our community. Know someone who would be perfect for our staff? Send them our way via hello@recess.cafe!
Our target opening?
Early summer 2025! We’re navigating the world of permits, contractors, and construction with a mix of humor and determination, and we’ll keep you posted on our progress.
How can you support us?
Share this email!
Follow us on Instagram (@A2Recess).
Spread the word in your networks and online communities.
Reach out with ideas, feedback, or introductions to people who might want to get involved.
If you host classes or provide community-based programming but don’t have a brick-and-mortar space, let’s talk! We’d love to support local talent and create a place where our community can connect and grow.
If you’re interested in supporting us financially, we’re accepting contributions that come with some fun perks viarecess.cafe/support! Thank you to the incredibly generous folks who have already contributed to our success.
Finally, what are some things I am loving and learning this month in Ann Arbor?
Learned -The Little Seedling has an incredibleregistry function that allows you to direct traffic for your registry directly back to a small, local, woman owned business! Despite my years of shopping locally, it didn’t occur to me that I could also register local and get everything I need!
Loved -Spencer’s wine tasting classes. Date nights can be hard for us, weekends fill up and it’s cold, but Spencer hosts regular wine tastings on Wednesdays and I can’t say enough about how good the vibes are. It’s cheaper than a nice dinner, I learn something, and I get to support good people doing good things.
I feel incredibly lucky to be part of this community and to contribute to placemaking in Ann Arbor. Thank you for your support—I can’t wait to welcome you to Recess Cafe!
See you soon, Thressa