YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY

Springfield, MO

Log in Subscribe

Where the Wild Things Play plans an Oct. 9 opening at 5557 N. 21st. St., Ste. 4.
provided by Where the Wild Things Play LLC
Where the Wild Things Play plans an Oct. 9 opening at 5557 N. 21st. St., Ste. 4.

Children’s play space venture nears opening in Ozark

Posted online

An Ozark couple is making children the focus of their first-time ownership venture.

Josh and Jordyn Norrick plan to debut Where the Wild Things Play LLC on Oct. 9 at 5557 N. 21st St., Ste. 4, in Ozark. It will mark the second new business in as many months to open in Deerbrook Marketplace, following the August launch of hybrid coffeehouse and plant shop Urban Grounds LLC.

Jordyn Norrick said she and her husband co-own Where the Wild Things Play with her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Aaron and Krista Norrick, who live in Connecticut. She described the concept as a children’s imaginative play space, similar to Itty Bitty City LLC in Springfield.

“They’re all child-sized spaces that look like a real adult world, so that they can play and learn,” she said of several of the structures her husband built, including a farm, playhouse, hair salon and supermarket. “It’s a very kid-focused business.”

Norrick said startup costs are roughly $90,000, adding the couple signed a five-year lease for an undisclosed rate with Mike Seitz of Triple S. Properties Inc.

She said the five-employee venture’s name is based on the book, “Where the Wild Things Are.” The book features a boat in it, and the couple was able to find one on Facebook Marketplace for $800, allowing them to add it as another play space inside the 4,400-square-foot business.

Admission is $13 on weekdays and $14 on weekends for children ages 1-12. Parents or guardians get in free but must be with their children at all times. Play passes, which are good for 10 admissions, are available for $115. Monthly memberships also are sold beginning at $45, according to its website. Additionally, pre-packaged snacks and bottled drinks will be available for purchase.

“We made it an open concept, so you should be able to see your child playing from almost anywhere in the space,” Norrick said, adding she and her husband also are parents of three.

Prior to focusing on the new business, Norrick said she was a part-time child care worker at James River Church, while her husband worked for Addison, Illinois-based medical supply company Arjo Inc.

Comments

No comments on this story |
Please log in to add your comment
Editors' Pick
Business Spotlight: The Right Focus

Helping people is the foremost purpose in business for Angela Stephens. The idea for Re-Focus the Creative Office was born to help her son, Drake Stephens, who had started struggling in school in fifth grade.

Most Read
Update cookies preferences