Celebrate Local – Mo Chroi
As published in the Central West Village Voice – 4 August 2022
Let’s meet Caitriona Cohen, owner of Mo Chroí Play Café.
When did Mo Chroí Play Café begin and what was the reason behind its inception?
I originally opened a family day care right before COVID, that I sadly had to close. After that, I felt that I was at a real crossroads and I wasn’t sure what to do next. After moping for a couple of weeks, I was chatting with my husband who reminded me that I had always wanted to open a Cafe and I thought YES! I spent a few weeks brainstorming about what I would want in a space and realised that there was no place for younger kids to come with their parents or carers to have a healthy bite to eat and a much needed coffee! Once the idea of Mo Chroí Play Café came about, we opened within a few months. I did almost all the work myself, with a little bit of help for the trade services and I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved.
What has been the biggest win over the last few years?
I would say certainly getting The Persuaders networking group in for their weekly catch ups. You wouldn’t think that a kids cafe would be a good fit for business but it works so well as a private function space. We can get food and drinks to everyone quickly and quietly so as not to disturb their meeting and the group really loves what we offer them. It’s been great to have that consistent booking, nice and early one morning a week.
What has been the biggest challenge over the last few years?
Our biggest challenge has been our location. We are a little tucked away and there’s not great signage for myself or the other tenants. Now, it’s making sure that my target demographic like the Mums Groups, knows where we are. I’ve put up some fairy lights so that you notice when going by but it’s something I hear all the time “Oh! I didn’t realise you were here!”, but we’ve been here for over 18 months!
What was the best business advise you’ve ever been given?
I’ve been given so much great advice but the best would be sticking to my niche. We are a family orientated cafe and started out great. Then, after COVID, families weren’t getting out like they used to so I thought “I should branch out” and was trying to target anyone that was looking for lunch. But the message was getting confused so that excellent advice to focus on my niche really helped with bringing back the right kind of business. And I’m feeling the benefits of that now.
What’s your favourite thing about Bathurst?
What I love most about Bathurst is that there’s always something on! There’s an event on from Council, there’s something at the Showground, there’s something for Business on. It feels like there is always something to do, regardless of the weather or quiet times.
Final thoughts…
If you’re looking to be able to entertain your little ones and have a cuppa and catch up in a safe space, then we are your place! It’s like a playdate without the mess or the stress! Mo Chroí Play Café is located in the delightful outdoor arcade Macquarie Plaza at Bathurst Chase –
Shop 1/2, 49 William Street, Bathurst. To contact Caitriona, please phone 0449 849 670.
Celebrate Local Bathurst
In partnership with Central West Village Voice, we want to celebrate the stories and successes of our local Bathurst Region businesses. From our local retailers and foodies through to our industrial and construction firms, we are looking to celebrate the wide variety of businesses that make up our strong, diverse economy.
