Little Beans Cafe

https://www.facebook.com/100063537341827/posts/810925917701979/?mibextid=cr9u03

After 13 years in business, due to circumstances beyond our control, we have made the decision to close our doors in November 2023. We have loved this business. We have enjoyed serving this community and watching kids and families enjoy special experiences in our space. We are devastated it’s coming to an end and we wish our circumstances were different. We have watched kids grow up, take first steps, make lasting friendships, and experience true joy. It’s been an honor to be even a small part of your lives.

Little Beans was a strong business before the pandemic and we have really tried our very best to adjust, pivot to changing times, and plan for the future. We have watched many businesses like ours close and we have felt lucky to have sustained this long. The unfortunate truth is, with rising operational and staffing costs in a space of this size, it has become very difficult to maintain profits (or even break even) with our pricing and seasonally driven model. We have put so much into this business financially, emotionally, physically, and mentally but it’s time for us to say goodbye.

As we do our best to communicate our closing to the public and wrap things up with dignity, we know our staff and customers will have a mix of feelings. Some people will be sad and feel a sense of loss that Little Beans will not be a part of the community and their lives. Some people may feel it is time for us to close, and that we have run our course. Some people will be mad or upset with us because they may have an old pass that they forgot about, or mad that a pass was purchased more recently and they will not have time to use it to completion. We did not sell passes at any time with the foresight that this was happening. Until mid-September, we have been actively trying to turn things around and plan for the future, but the last few weeks have proven that we have no other choice but to close. We are trying our best to give customers a chance to use their remaining passes. We are using the remaining money left in our account to close with notice (for customers and staff) and not just shut our doors. There is no good way to close a business, but we promise we are doing the best we can with the very intense financial limitations we are under. We are closing with debt remaining on the business and we are uncertain how this will pan out for us personally as we work through solutions to cover our liabilities with any remaining physical assets.

If you have a punch pass to Little Beans, you can use them until our closing date. If you would like to have a friend use your pass instead, email [email protected] and we will make a note.

While it would be financially impossible for us to refund all unused passes, we have calculated what we can offer (with help from a family member to cover this cost).

-50% refund on remaining visits to anyone who bought a pass -after 8/1.
-35% refund on remaining visits to anyone who bought a pass after 7/1.
-25% refund on remaining visits to anyone who bought a pass after 6/1.
Please email [email protected] and after our closing in late November, someone will be in touch with the next steps.

-Our cafe will be selling food items until the current inventory runs out. Pastries, coffee, drinks, and snacks will still be available through November.

-Our playspace will officially close on 11/26. Based on business conditions, we may operate altered hours in November but will post our hours each day on our website.

-Our gymnastics classes will run until the end of the Fall 2 session. Fall 2 Gymnastics runs from October 16th - November 27th. Registration will open next week.

-Our preschool will end on 11/30.

-If you are interested in hosting your party with Little Beans in the meantime, we are still taking party bookings through November 26th.

-As our last events, we will be hosting our annual Fall Fest on 10/21 and our annual Halloween Party on 10/29.

In the comments, we have included some of our favorite memories. We hope you will take the time to read and remember.

For those who are interested, also in the comments, we included more information and details about what drove our decision to close at the end.

Are you looking for a preschool option for your 2-5 year old? Little Beans (Evanston) is offering a great program. Learn more at www.littlebeanscafe.com or register for either 2 days, 3 days, or 5 days at the link below.
https://register.runsandbox.com?form=ed584001-8e1b-431d-b499-137a35bca5b1

We sure are going to miss our Little Beans Chicago neighbor, Natalie Ellis Monterastelli. Our friends at Bubbles Academy are the best. Not only have they been great neighbors and friends but they are some of the most innovative and dedicated people I have worked with. They have taken a tough business environment with Covid and made lemonade. Between outdoor classes, their nature playground, a garage space and preschool, they take hustle to a new level.