Mom leaving tech job to open contemporary play place for kids and parents in Toronto
Published May 23, 2025 at 3:06 pm
A new contemporary space for children to play is opening in Toronto, and it’s not your average ball pit.
The Willow Play Cafe is going to be a new play space, cafe and gift shop for families with young kids. Think charcuterie snack plates in between sensory play sessions in an aesthetically pleasing space.
The idea is that the space will function both as an indoor playground for kids as well as a chill hang space for parents. It should encompass a play area for kids under six, a cafe with food and drinks for all ages, and a gift shop, and The Willow Play Cafe will also throw events of their own and be available for birthday parties and private bookings.
Influences for The Willow Play Cafe range from nature, classic children’s storybooks, retro cafes and Toronto’s industrial roots to STEM-based play and educational philosophies like the Reggio Emilia approach. The name of the cafe is inspired by the way willow trees are gentle yet resilient, and are associated with mystery, magic and portals to other worlds.
It’s the brainchild of Christina DiAdamo, who’s a mother of two and most recently spent over a decade as a senior leader in tech product marketing, but has also worked jobs from cafes to clothing stores to event planning, and even did a stint at Chuck E. Cheese.
“Aside from the fact that I got sucker-punched in the stomach while dressed as Chuck E. Cheese,” DiAdamo tells YourCityWithIN.com, “that’s still my favourite job. The kids were so happy to be celebrated in a special way, and the parents were so happy to have everything taken care of for them. It was such a simple thing, but I felt like I was helping to bring a bit of magic to their world.”
As such, DiAdamo calls opening The Willow Play Cafe a “full circle moment.” One thing area where she doesn’t have experience that she wants to be at the core of Willow, however, is education, so she’ll be majorly investing in hiring someone who does have that experience.
“Their expertise will shape our programming, keep our play area fresh with the latest and greatest educational activities, and ensure that families get a lot of value out of every event, especially as it relates to STEM,” says DiAdamo. “This person will also be floating around during open play sessions to engage the kids and run light programming, giving parents and caregivers a little more time to themselves. This support is included with the cost of admission.”
Aside from a desire to improve on the Chuck E. Cheese model, what really inspired DiAdamo to open The Willow Play Cafe was a lack of less conventional spaces that embraced the needs of both children and parents.
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“When I was on parental leave with my oldest daughter, I realized something. In a city of over two million people, there are only a handful of indoor spaces designed for parents and their children. Either we’d be at a restaurant where she’d be expected to sit still for 45 minutes while we waited to place an order and eat, or we’d be at an indoor playground where I’d be expected to climb through tunnels half my size to make sure she didn’t get trampled. I knew there had to be a better way, especially as I started researching how family-friendly other countries are like Denmark and Japan,” says DiAdamo.
“I loved my time in product marketing, but becoming a parent changed my perspective on how I spend my time, and who I spend it for. So when I spotted this opportunity in the Toronto market, I decided to do something totally out of character for me…I’m a very risk-averse person by nature…and take the leap. It’s scary, but I just keep telling myself… If not now, then when? If not me, then who? Fast forward one-point-five years, hours of research, cycles of feedback, versions of strategies, a long wait for the perfect location, and another baby girl, and here we are, a couple of months away from opening The Willow Play Cafe.”
DiAdamo partnered with design and architect teams Denizen of Design and DS Studio to bring to life her vision of an indoor playground truly built with the entire family in mind.
“The vision is to bridge the gap between grown-up comforts and the magic of childhood,” says DiAdamo. “It’s a space that is familiar and beautiful for adults, but still engaging and magical for kids. It’s a space that truly allows parents to slow down and enjoy the moment.”
Part of slowing down and enjoying the moment (for both kids and parents) will include Willow’s range of nutritious snack boards that will make up their food menu, prioritizing fruits, veggies, local and organic products, with accommodations for dietary needs. The idea is to embrace the way families really eat at home, passing around platters.
“I know how hard it is to get a kid to sit and eat a meal, so this makes it easy for them to graze in between play,” says DiAdamo. “And there’s an elevated version for adults.”
Within a few weeks of announcing the opening of The Willow Play Cafe, hundreds of people followed them on Instagram and signed up for their waitlist.
“It’s clear from the excitement that the city needs more spaces like this, especially in the west end,” says DiAdamo. “There are some lovely indoor play spaces in the east end and midtown Toronto, but there’s nothing quite like The Willow in the west end so I think the neighbourhood is ready for it. People are really resonating with The Willow’s unique take on indoor play spaces.”
Once The Willow Play Cafe is up and running, DiAdamo hopes to expand programming with events to raise funds for charity as well as events designed just for adults. She also has ambitions of starting up book clubs for both little kids and adults through Willow.
“The feeling of getting completely lost in your imagination while reading a good book is exactly the feeling I want to create at The Willow,” says DiAdamo.
The Willow Play Cafe at 1540 Dupont St. is slated to open around October 2025.