We all have two important everyday places in our lives; school or work, and home. However, most of us lack that third place we go to: a place purely for comfort. Burrow Cafe and Play aims to be that for its community. Owners Morgan Claytor and Jovana Bratonozic are sisters-in-law who wanted to create something they saw was lacking in their lives as well as in the lives of their friends and family. They are both working moms with a combination of six kids: Morgan with four, and Jo with two. They started developing the idea that would soon be known as the Burrow two years ago when Jo was pregnant with her second child. With more kids on the way, they knew they needed to create that third place, not just for the community, but also for themselves.
When Morgan and Jo wanted to design something not many people have in their lives, they had to clearly show what they wanted a third place to look like. Morgan clarified that a third place, “A lot of times for people, is a community space. It’s a space that you go to for comfort, for connection, for social reasons, but also to recharge.” The sisters-in-law took that concept and immediately thought of the idea of parks because, as Morgan explained, “Public parks attract all demographics, all ages, all backgrounds, and it’s a space for people to gather.” It’s the opposite of where parents like her go with their kids, Morgan denounced, “We’re all just overstimulated all the time.” Even so, they, as Morgan summed up, “Had no idea how to do any of this when [they] started.”
Despite that, they were both a part of fields that apply to their business. Morgan has a background in graphic design, where she’d work on brands and websites, whereas Jo has a background in sales. They realized even if they weren’t one hundred percent in their realm of understanding, now was the time to act on the idea. As Morgan said, “As soon as your kids get to a certain age, and you don’t need this anymore, you’re not gonna build a play space for somebody else’s kids.” She added, “You do it because you’re in it, and you understand it, and you see the need, and you want to address that need.” This is a strong passion for both of them and goes to show how they have already seen so much success.
Their work with architectural design firm GDP Design Build through their general contractor Roycik Construction elevated their space and amplified their idea of, “Bringing the outside in.” This is why Jo and Morgan focused on making it, “Look like a green space rather than focusing on primary colors.” Morgan added, “We wanted it to feel calm.” In addition, instead of going with the traditional route of purposefully making their space uncomfortable, as many coffee shops do to turn over a better profit, Morgan pointed out that they, “Wanted to do the opposite.” Even with the inevitable losses, their main priority is to make the cafe everyone’s third place. But more than that, Morgan emphasized that they, “Also just appreciate that people want to be in [their] space.”
Throughout their two years of developing their idea, they also paid attention to parking as an important factor when choosing their location, and they found the perfect spot. The Burrow Cafe and Play is in Orlando, Florida, at 618 North Mills Avenue. The location is perfect not only for parking, but due to the fact that they are in the hub of schools surrounding it. Additionally, the building itself has giant windows that have become the focal point of the property, as they create a personal billboard for the business. Morgan commented on how important it was that the designers pushed to keep the large windows because, “They knew that if you could see it from the street, that it would attract people.” Consequently, attracted customers have been more than eager to become a part of the Burrow’s third-place community.
With that in mind, Jo and Morgan have chosen to let the people as a whole decide what’s next, taking their requests to heart. As they continue to work on the second level of the cafe, they hope to have it open by Summer 2025. This space will include a therapy room run by the Peace for Kids organization and an additional study or workplace. Burrow Cafe and Play is quickly growing into the community Morgan and Jo hoped it would be in-person and online. The cafe has also taken a strong social media presence with their many influencer events and platforms on Instagram and Facebook. They continue to develop their marketing strategy and have already seen the benefits with a jump from 2,000 followers to 15,000 followers on Instagram. Morgan concluded that at the end of the day, they want the Burrow, “To be a space where everyone feels welcome.”
