Today we’d like to introduce you to Autumn White and Jessica Gill.
Hi Autumn and Jessica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! We are Autumn and Jessi…two moms from Troy, Ohio who have been best friends since the second grade. After high school, we went to college together and both stayed in Columbus, Ohio to start our families after graduation. Since obviously our kids were DESTINED to be best friends, we spent quite a bit of time enjoying play dates at indoor playgrounds and cafes. In 2014, we planned a dinner with our husbands, both a little nervous to share some news with the other…but it turns out, our news was the same!!! With our families expanding, we each (independently, we swear!) decided to move closer to family and our hometown. After relocating to Troy, Ohio, we settled into the same neighborhood and quickly felt right at home! The only thing that was missing was a nearby, clean, safe indoor environment to take our kids to burn off some energy while we relax and catch up. Upon learning that the Sherwood of Troy shopping center was going to be redeveloped and revived, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to turn our dream into a reality.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Once we had a plan in motion to turn our dream into reality, we got to work. We did market research, created a business plan, secured funding, and began building plans. We had everything set to go so we could open in… March 2020. Obviously, the pandemic had other things in mind, which caused an initial delay and a lot of stress. We were very fortunate that our landlord, the bank, and our community were patient and really wanted to see us succeed. We were able to host our first birthday party in August 2020 and have been in business ever since!
Navigating the struggles of a service-oriented business, combined with the unique challenge of meeting the needs and wants of young families, has had its ups and downs. We can honestly say, however, that we have the best little “family” of customers that make every single day worth all the work!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We started off as two moms from who simply realized the need for a fun, clean, local place to bring kiddos during the day. That spark fueled the fire to create a unique place in our own backyard to allow kids to be kids and adults to socialize, get a little work done, or simply have a place to play away from home.
We are so very proud to say that we designed and built Timber & Bow from the ground up. As soon as we landed on the idea of creating a quaint, nature-themed play area, we curated every last detail to match our vision. The large wooden playset was custom designed over the course of several months, the grassy turf and wood plank floors were hand-picked, the giant decorative trees on the walls were handcrafted in our garages and double as acoustic panels, and the wall mural was designed and hand-painted by yours truly! We really poured our hearts into creating a cozy space for kids and families, while using our experience as moms to meet the needs and wants of our customers.
Any big plans?
We are asked on a regular basis when we plan to expand to a larger location or open in new cities. The possibilities for Timber & Bow Play Studio truly are endless. Right now, however, we really plan to continue pouring into this one business baby with every ounce of heart and love that we have!
We do have some fun plans in the works to pair with other local businesses to bring the best in kids’ entertainment to our studio! Most excitingly, we will be collaborating with The Fairy Godmother to host meet-and-greet events with special characters, such as princesses and superheroes, in the very near future!
Pricing:
- Open Play – $9/child
- Primary Party – $250 for 2 hours
- Express Party – $185 for 90 mins (weekdays)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.timberandbow.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
timberandbow/ - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
timberandbow
Image Credits
Live Pretty Darling
