And Just Like That, A Business was Born.

Growing up, I always saw the “in crowd” or the community I wanted to be a part of, as people who lived on the lake. I saw everyone getting together on their boats, laying out to tan in the sun, kids laughing, parents with their coolers. I still want that, and my dream is to own a house on Lake Washington, but I realized that a lake house is just the materialistic aspect of what I am looking for. What I am really craving is the community. This community is a place that I can go to for support and where I can go to support others. As I started to think more and more about what this community looks like physically, I started picturing a cafe…

I had my first child in May 2020 which was a very scary time as it was at the start of the pandemic, and everything was shut down. This was a time where people did not know a lot about COVID-19 and were disinfecting items they just bought at the grocery store, their entire house even when they didn’t leave and had no visitors, and even going outside felt unsafe because it was unclear on how the disease was transmitted. To have a baby during this time was a whole new level of scary because no one was allowed in the delivery room, sometimes not even a support person or the spouse of the person giving birth.

Prior to the pandemic, my husband and I had signed up for a new parent group (PEPs) which was designed for new parents to meet up weekly, in person, with their babies to talk about struggles and wins. It was a fantastic idea that I was so excited about but, unfortunately, we never go to utilize the service to the full extent because the only meetings we could do were virtual. I’m so happy we joined the group because we still made everlasting relationships, but part of me always looks back and wishes we could have had those interactions in person to really strengthen the bond. When people say “it takes a village” to raise a child, they are so right. Raising a baby is hard for reasons you can never expect. In person adult interactions are so crucial for new parents and again I was craving a community.

I figured out what I needed to do, create a place where new parents or caregivers of infants are catered to. And just like that a business was born, L&Q Cafe. L&Q stands for Logan and Quinn, my two children who light up my life every day and without them, this business quite literally would not exist.

At L&Q Cafe, babies can nap in their private nursery while parents or caregivers can relax, have a coffee, read a book, meet with a friend, meditate, do some self-care, or just take a break with the peace of mind that their child is safe and getting a restful sleep. This is a place where we can have a moment to feel like our pre-baby, adult selves again and not be confined to our house because of nap schedules.

We are on the hunt for a physical location in the Kirkland, WA area. If you have any leads or want to donate towards start up funds please use the donation link below! Thank you so much!

Let me know your thoughts in the comments!