New motherhood often feels lonely and isolating, a reality Kathleen O’Brien Price, founder of KinHaven House, experienced firsthand following the birth of her daughter, Nola, in 2021. “The idea for KinHaven House started because I was literally at home with a baby, thinking: ‘I need somewhere to go,’” she recalled.

Many parent-child activities, she noted, are “purposely kid-focused,” such as toddler sing-alongs or infant tumbling classes. While these kept Nola entertained, they didn’t “fill my own bucket,” O’Brien Price said. Meanwhile, other social options like restaurants and bars weren’t practical for parents with small children. “Places weren’t equipped with changing tables, and I had friends with double strollers that didn’t even fit indoors,” she explained. This idea led to the creation of KinHaven House, which O’Brien Price plans to open in 2026. In the meantime, she’s building community and buzz — and a robust email list — by hosting pop-up events at brownstones and catering venues throughout New York City.

Drawing on her experience as a freelance chef — from catering and appearing on Food Network shows to teaching classes, cooking for celebrities and curating events for major brands like Jordan and Peloton — O’Brien Price began developing a solution. She dreamed of creating a brick-and-mortar space where children could be entertained by babysitters and toys, allowing parents to unwind guilt-free over cocktails or dinner.

O’Brien Price talks with ICSC Small Business Center contributing editor Rebecca Meiser about turning her dream into reality, what she learned from working with actors Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith and how she’s achieving her funding goals.

How do you envision the layout and functionality of KinHaven House to meet the needs of both parents and children?

I imagine it like three siloed spaces. If you think of it as a house, there’s the casual family room — somewhere you can eat with your kids, you can chat with your friends. Then there’s a more formal living room for adults only. It feels a little like Edition Hotels — when you walk in, it feels fancy and nice, like you just want to breathe in the good aroma. The other room is designed as a kid-friendly area, like a McDonald's PlayPlace, but with cool Montessori toys. The age we're aiming for is under eight, so nothing too crazy. But what makes this room special, beyond the play spaces, is that there are people to help watch your kids — like a lifeguard.

The spaces work together as an ecosystem to meet whatever a parent might need that day. Additionally, since it’s a membership-based community, kids and parents start to form relationships over time. I've already seen this happen at my pop-up events, where the same families return and both kids and parents feel more comfortable hanging out together.

How has your professional and personal background shaped your vision for KinHaven House?

I’ve been in hospitality for 15 years, cooking for people and throwing events. Right out of culinary school, I landed a job at Will and Jada Smith’s house, working as a kitchen assistant. Working with them showed me how to operate at an exceptionally high level of hospitality — their home basically functioned like a restaurant. It also reinforced the importance of bringing people together and gave me one of my first glimpses into parenting. I was 21 and watched them parent their children, who were 12 and 9 at the time. It left a lasting impression. In 2013, I moved to New York with just three bags and knew almost no one. I worked as a freelance chef, probably in 50 different homes: high-net-worth individuals, as well as regular people like me who just needed good, healthy food.

I noticed that I'm a true [people] gatherer. When I moved to New York, I knew, like, zero people. Since [I moved to New York] I've built a community, and I know how valuable it is. I realize not everyone can do that, so that's why I want to create the space for people to have a community and feel comfortable.

How did your experiences and observations influence your market research for KinHaven House?

The market research started with the kids classes I was [taking my daughter to]. I would go and be like: “This is not entertaining to me at all.” I thought: “How could I make this better?” I always want to improve stuff. I started researching and going to a lot of kids spaces. There are a few kid cafes popping up around, too, but most of the time I'm very disappointed in the food.

Did you have a business plan?

Yes. It has evolved, [including with] the addition of a day care component, which has caused some delays. I found an amazing person on [freelancing platform] Upwork who’s been helping me with the financial projections. She’s really helped me lay everything out so I can plug in figures and see how different scenarios would play out. I also have a network of founder friends who’ve been guiding me, especially with the key pieces I need to present to investors.

What will the membership model look like?

I'm considering creating a boutique day care within the space to help sustain the business. As I’ve been talking to investors, I’ve [learned] that membership models are amazing when they work well, but they require consistent marketing and a steady flow of customers coming in. When I first created the financial models, the membership price point was quite high. However, with the addition of a boutique day care, I can lower that. I’m looking now at $250 to $300 a month.

How do you see the food-and-beverage experience working?

I envision a cafe kind of situation, but you order at the counter and then you sit down and are served. Throughout the month, there will be special events like dinner parties, so parents can go out at night but their kids will be entertained in the other room. In terms of menu, I’m from California, so I like healthy and fresh things — a turkey pesto sandwich with freshly made pesto, for example, or a really nice kale tandoori salad with chickpeas — and some cute little bites for kids like chicken fingers but not made with preservatives. At the beginning, I will be really hands on, but over time and as we expand, I see bringing in lead chefs.

Tell me about the pop-ups you've hosted.

The very first one I threw was in 2022, and it was Halloween themed. It was in a space I’d used for dinner [parties] before — a large room that worked well for those events but not so much for the pop-up. People left that event saying: “Wow, this is amazing.” But the more constructive feedback was: “This kind of just felt like a kids party.” Even though there were people helping watch your kid, there were still a lot of kids running around. It was a little chaotic. Since then, I've tried to find spaces that have dividers. Recently, I hosted another Little Boo Halloween Brunch at a brownstone in Harlem. The kids were mostly upstairs, and the parents were downstairs. This separation was key because, today, we want to be around our families but still maintain some space and separation. I want to know my kid is here and enjoying themselves, but I also would like to finish this conversation. That was probably the biggest lesson I learned from these pop-ups.

Why was it important to host pop-ups before committing to a brick-and-mortar space?

It helps me collect information about what parents actually want and need. It also helps show me what price points people are comfortable paying. Also, it's going to be super important as I'm talking to more investors to show traction. For the person who doesn't have a kid but has lots of money, it’s important to show the demand.

Have you found a location for the business yet?

I’ve narrowed it down to three locations in Harlem. One spot I like for its accessibility, [but what I really like about it is that] it’s ideal in terms of space. I want a place with high ceilings. Kids take up a lot of space, and I want it to feel very aesthetically pleasing. Plus, being from California, sunlight is really important to me. It brings an energy into the space.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as you prepare to open your first brick-and-mortar location?

Thinking about how much money I need to make this successful. Real estate in New York is expensive, and I’ve had so many people tell me no or suggest I should move to the suburbs or leave New York entirely because it might be easier to get funding. But for me, staying in New York is non-negotiable.

How are you funding it?

I ran a crowdfund that recently ended. It was essentially a friends-and-family round, and it served two purposes. It’s helping fund the pop-ups, and it’s showing traction. When I talk to investors, I can point to the fact that so many people have believed in this idea and contributed. At one point I realized my crowdfunding was ending soon so I started reaching out and got like $3,000 in one day. That carried me through to the beginning of the year.

I’ve also been lightly talking to investors, but this year, I'm really going to hit the ground running. Ideally, I'd like to find some angel investors or more silent partners in the background that really believe in the vision, see the work ethic I have and want to support me with resources.

What's been the most unexpected challenge in bringing this idea to life?

The self-journey. With a job, you just show up and do the work. But when you're building something that’s truly yours, you have to be so self-regulated, so in touch with your own feelings and be willing to take the leap of faith. It’s so emotional, much more than I ever imagined.