In The News: Phones ringing off the hook as kids indoor recreational spaces open up in B.C.
As provincial restrictions continue to loosen and kids are getting vaccinated, indoor facilities for play and education are getting ready to welcome back eager families.
On June 14, the province announced it would be moving to Stage 2 of its reopening plan which allows indoor gatherings for up to fifty people.
That's when Kidtropolis, an imagination-based play centre in Richmond, started to hear phones ringing off the hook as families called to book parties or celebrate milestone events, said CEO and President Ginny Lam.
"We definitely feel a buzz in the air," she said.
Indoor facilities targeting childhood learning are not considered essential businesses like schools or daycare centres and rely nearly entirely on ticket sales. Kidtropolis operators spent much of the last year unsure if it would outlast the pandemic.
It closed on March 16, 2020, and reopened four months later with precautions. The 18,000-square-foot facility houses pretend grocery stores, salons, tons of costumes and pretend food. All of which are high-touch activities with a heightened risk of carrying germs.
"At some point our business was at 20 per cent of what our actual revenues were from previous years. So we took a huge hit," said Lam. "We were on a skeletal staff. The ownership team came in and really, it was [time to] roll up your sleeves."