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Little Beans Cafe - Evanston

Little Beans Cafe - Evanston Little Beans Cafe in Evanston is a vibrant family-oriented venue that combines a café with an interactive indoor playground designed for children aged 0-12. Families can enjoy a comfortable atmosphere while indulging in a variety of specialty coffee drinks, panini sandwiches, salads, soups, pastries, and snacks. The unique indoor village and ninja course provide kids the freedom to play, learn, imagine, and create. With daily drop-in play opportunities and various events and classes available, Little Beans Cafe serves as an engaging destination where children will be eager to stay longer.
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As we officially close our doors effective today, November 26th, 2023, we wanted to say a final Thank You for your patro...
11/26/2023

As we officially close our doors effective today, November 26th, 2023, we wanted to say a final Thank You for your patronage. We will truly miss this business and all of the wonderful kids and families we have had the pleasure of meeting.

For the last 2 months, since our closing announcement, we have enjoyed hearing from so many of you with Little Beans stories, expressions of appreciation, and memories we will forever cherish. Thank you for your nice messages and for stopping by to say goodbye. We are thankful for the support.

Many people have asked us what is happening with our space and our toys/equipment. At this time, there are a few groups who are in discussion with our landlord about possible uses for the space. Those conversations are still taking place, so we have been asked to hold off on an equipment/asset sale until a final decision has been made on the business use for this building. Once we know what will come of this space, we will let you know. At that time, we will also announce if there will be a public sale of our toys, equipment, and assets and when it will take place. If you are interested in purchasing specific items in our space, please email [email protected] and we will put you on a list to be contacted first about our sale.

A final message from the Valko/Spengler family

As you may or may not know, Little Beans is a family business. We have run this business as a sister/brother team for 13 years (and yes, we still love each other). We have been blessed with wonderful managers, supervisors, and employees who have made it possible for us to step in and out of the business while we explore other business opportunities and jobs through the years (Board & Brush, Seriously Slime, The Kindness Connection, Timberlake Renovation, L-Earned, and other jobs). It's all been a big adventure and we want to thank our families for their endless support.

Our initial investment to start Little Beans Chicago in 2010 came from our grandma and our parents. Without their support of this endeavor, none of this would have been possible. Our dad is no longer with us, but he was so proud of us and this business, and our mother is here continuing to support us as we close our doors today. Our spouses and kids have been an integral part of Little Beans with endless hours of work and commitment to the business (and us) through the years.

So, from our family to yours ...... Goodbye and Thank You!

With gratitude,
Shannon (Drew, Will, Sydney, Emily) and Rob (Kelly, Abby, Bobby)

Learn how to make Chili in tomorrow's Little Beans Cozy Cookery Class. Saturday at 10am. Register here - https://occ.sn/...
11/10/2023

Learn how to make Chili in tomorrow's Little Beans Cozy Cookery Class. Saturday at 10am. Register here - https://occ.sn/3WQRRssc

Tickets still available. Join us for Fall Fest today from 4-7pm. It’s going to be a beautiful day as we get into the Fal...
10/21/2023

Tickets still available. Join us for Fall Fest today from 4-7pm. It’s going to be a beautiful day as we get into the Fall mood with pony rides, play, pumpkins and more.

Use code FALLFEST23 for 20% off

Register here - https://app.getoccasion.com/p/n/CdndfXcC

Join us for Fall Fest tomorrow (Saturday) from 4-7pm. It's going to be a beautiful day as we get into the Fall mood with...
10/20/2023

Join us for Fall Fest tomorrow (Saturday) from 4-7pm. It's going to be a beautiful day as we get into the Fall mood with pony rides, play, pumpkins and more. Register here - https://app.getoccasion.com/p/n/CdndfXcC

We will miss our friends at Bubbles Academy!
09/29/2023

We will miss our friends at Bubbles Academy!

After 13 years in business, due to circumstances beyond our control, we have made the decision to close our doors in Nov...
09/26/2023

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.

It’s time for a pre-Winter clean. Starting Monday, visit our rummage sale. Stop by as we get rid of various items from o...
09/11/2023

It’s time for a pre-Winter clean. Starting Monday, visit our rummage sale. Stop by as we get rid of various items from our preschool, summer camp supplies and toys.

We are ready for our preschool kids to start tomorrow!
09/05/2023

We are ready for our preschool kids to start tomorrow!

That's a wrap on Summer Camp 2023. What a great summer. Thanks to all the kids who spent all or some of your summer with...
08/25/2023

That's a wrap on Summer Camp 2023. What a great summer. Thanks to all the kids who spent all or some of your summer with us. Thanks to our awesome counselors. We watched friendships grow and experienced memories being made.

Kids enjoyed the playspaces, outdoor games and activities, projects and crafts, sports and gymnastics, science and stem, cooking, music, dance, special presentations from visitors, and much more.

Address

430 Asbury Avenue
Evanston, IL
60202

**Travel Directions to Asbury Avenue, Evanston**

**By Public Transport:**
1. **Train:** Take the Metra Union Pacific North Line to the Evanston Station. From there, you can walk approximately 15 minutes north along Chicago Avenue, then turn left onto Asbury Avenue.
2. **CTA Bus:** You can also take the CTA bus routes 201 or 93 that stop near Asbury Avenue. Check the CTA website for specific schedules and stops.

**By Car:**
1. If you're coming from downtown Chicago, take Lake Shore Drive (US-41) north.
2. Merge onto I-94 W toward Milwaukee.
3. Take exit 37B for Dempster St and continue west on Dempster Street.
4. Turn right onto Asbury Avenue; your destination will be on the left.

**Parking:**
There is street parking available along Asbury Avenue and nearby streets. Be sure to check for any parking restrictions or meters in the area before leaving your vehicle.

Telephone

(847) 807-3731

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What people say

Little Beans Cafe - Evanston is a delightful haven for families, where children can unleash their creativity and imagination in a custom interactive indoor village and playground. This unique space is designed for kids aged 0-12 years, providing them with the freedom to play, learn, and explore while parents relax in a comfortable café setting.

The café offers an enticing menu featuring specialty coffee drinks alongside a variety of delicious options such as panini sandwiches, salads, soups, pastries, and snacks. Parents can savor their favorite beverages while keeping an eye on their little ones as they engage in fun activities.

Little Beans Cafe is more than just a play area; it’s a destination that promises joy and entertainment for the entire family. With daily drop-in play opportunities, events, camps, and classes available, there’s always something exciting happening at Little Beans. It’s no wonder that kids will be eager to return time and again!

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