Dan Jenkins of Sunshine Play, an indoor playground at Stony Point Fashion Park. (Jack Jacobs photos)
Inspired by the classic parental challenge of keeping his kid entertained, a local entrepreneur has brought an indoor playground to Stony Point Fashion Park.
Dan Jenkins recently opened Sunshine Play at the South Richmond mall. The children’s play space features a ball pit and slides, play kitchen, games and toys among other equipment.
The playground is the first of several elements Jenkins has in mind for the business. An on-premises toy store is expected to open later this month and a cafe is in the works in a nearby storefront at the mall.
Jenkins estimated that he spent under $100,000 to launch Sunshine, which opened in December. He was motivated to create the concept because he felt like there weren’t enough indoor activities in the area for his 3-year-old son, Beau.
“The options for indoor play are relatively limited. When you have three or four days of continuous rain, you’re out of things to do,” said Jenkins.
The ball pit and slides at Sunshine Play, an indoor playground at Stony Point Fashion Park. (Jack Jacobs photo)
Sunshine’s play area is aimed at kids up to 5 years old. It costs $20 per child for a two-hour session in the play area. The venue, which is in a 2,000-square-foot space, requires reservations and has a 15-kid cap in the play area.
Sunshine also features a small retail area in its space, which Jenkins expects to be stocked with toys by the end of January. He plans to sell education toys made domestically or in Europe, and said he would allow kids to test them out in the play area to help drive sales.
“You can really pull a toy off the shelf, test it out and see how it goes. If your little one has fun, you’ll know it’s worth investing in,” Jenkins said.
Sunshine Play is an indoor playground that offers a variety of play equipment and games for children. (Jack Jacobs photo)
Sunshine is near the mall’s outdoor play area and splash pad. Its space was formerly occupied by gift shop Alchemists, which is now in the Stony Point Village Shopping Center.
In March, Jenkins plans to open a Sunshine cafe in a nearby storefront that used to be occupied by a Subway. The cafe will operate under a separate LLC but share the indoor playground’s branding. It is expected to feature coffee, acai bowls and snacks with a menu geared toward kids and families.
Jenkins also owns Transitions Float Studio, a therapy company with locations in Short Pump and Midlothian. He sold the company’s outpost in Florida in early 2023.
Other relatively new arrivals to Stony Point mall include art studio chain Zero Empty Spaces and restaurant Lyra’s Natural Kitchen. Late last year, the mall secured an ABC permit to allow an open-container policy that lets visitors to drink alcoholic beverages while they shop at the mall.
Dan Jenkins of Sunshine Play, an indoor playground at Stony Point Fashion Park. (Jack Jacobs photos)
Inspired by the classic parental challenge of keeping his kid entertained, a local entrepreneur has brought an indoor playground to Stony Point Fashion Park.
Dan Jenkins recently opened Sunshine Play at the South Richmond mall. The children’s play space features a ball pit and slides, play kitchen, games and toys among other equipment.
The playground is the first of several elements Jenkins has in mind for the business. An on-premises toy store is expected to open later this month and a cafe is in the works in a nearby storefront at the mall.
Jenkins estimated that he spent under $100,000 to launch Sunshine, which opened in December. He was motivated to create the concept because he felt like there weren’t enough indoor activities in the area for his 3-year-old son, Beau.
“The options for indoor play are relatively limited. When you have three or four days of continuous rain, you’re out of things to do,” said Jenkins.
The ball pit and slides at Sunshine Play, an indoor playground at Stony Point Fashion Park. (Jack Jacobs photo)
Sunshine’s play area is aimed at kids up to 5 years old. It costs $20 per child for a two-hour session in the play area. The venue, which is in a 2,000-square-foot space, requires reservations and has a 15-kid cap in the play area.
Sunshine also features a small retail area in its space, which Jenkins expects to be stocked with toys by the end of January. He plans to sell education toys made domestically or in Europe, and said he would allow kids to test them out in the play area to help drive sales.
“You can really pull a toy off the shelf, test it out and see how it goes. If your little one has fun, you’ll know it’s worth investing in,” Jenkins said.
Sunshine Play is an indoor playground that offers a variety of play equipment and games for children. (Jack Jacobs photo)
Sunshine is near the mall’s outdoor play area and splash pad. Its space was formerly occupied by gift shop Alchemists, which is now in the Stony Point Village Shopping Center.
In March, Jenkins plans to open a Sunshine cafe in a nearby storefront that used to be occupied by a Subway. The cafe will operate under a separate LLC but share the indoor playground’s branding. It is expected to feature coffee, acai bowls and snacks with a menu geared toward kids and families.
Jenkins also owns Transitions Float Studio, a therapy company with locations in Short Pump and Midlothian. He sold the company’s outpost in Florida in early 2023.
Other relatively new arrivals to Stony Point mall include art studio chain Zero Empty Spaces and restaurant Lyra’s Natural Kitchen. Late last year, the mall secured an ABC permit to allow an open-container policy that lets visitors to drink alcoholic beverages while they shop at the mall.
Seems like a good business model that fills a need for both families and transitioning mall real estate.