MHK Play Studio expanded into their planned second phase by opening their Sip and Snack area in newly-expanded location. Although the Play Studio opened the new location only three months ago, the next Sip and Snack offering is a long-awaited addition. “Since we opened, people know the next space is food and drink. Every time someone comes in, they ask ‘Is it open yet’? We wanted to be able to offer breakfast, after-school snacktime or larger events.” Kasey and her team are proud to finally be opening this feature, but she wanted it to be unique from other similar offerings around town. “I like doing things that are different. Everyone told me, ‘Open a coffee shop’, but there are so many in town. So, I wanted to do the modern twist on the soda shop.”
Kasey Wilkinson and Wrenn Pacheco with their spouses at the Sip and Snack soda shop ribbon cutting, Thursday, December 1. The soda shop is a new feature of MHK Play Studio. PC: Madison Quinn
For Kasey, dreams are always the result of hard work and collaboration, backed by her love of community. Her vision for the soda shop wasn’t just about offering food and drink to customers. It is about highlighting women-owned businesses, similar to the other partnerships in the rest of her shop, and offering healthy food options that place family and community at the center of a gathering. “We wanted a place in the expansion that customers can come in and have snacks and special treats, and we added in our specialty mocktails that we have been experimenting with for a year. These allow kids to have a fancy drink and feel just as special as the adults.” She adds, “We are starting small, just to get us started.” The soda shop features a variety of drinks along with a partnership with DoughBro for cinnamon rolls and muffins, as well as their granola in acai bowls. “We want kids to come in and have a seat, eat a snack with their parents after school or in the morning.”
One of Kasey’s most meaningful partnerships to date is with Pacheco Beef, another local women-owned business and small cattle ranch operated by Wrenn Pacheco. “To me, coming from an agricultural background, meals are the most important part of the day. Bringing food in allows families to play, eat and gather. The connection opportunity, especially for children, allows families to put the screens away and connect with each other.” She adds, “With our partnership with Pacheco Beef, we are offering their grazing cups and boxes, featuring Pacheco sausage and Alma cheese. We are trying to keep it local and look for ways to support the community and other business owners.”
Wrenn Pacheco (L) and Kasey Wilkinson (R) at the ribbon cutting at the Sip and Snack soda shop at MHK Play Studio, celebrating their partnership. PC: Madison Quinn
For Wrenn Pacheco, the opportunity to partner with another woman-owned business was also a priority. “I have a passion for cheering other business owners on, specifically women, because we are all in it together. As women, we take care of everyone else and don’t always take care of ourselves. Meeting Kasey and making this connection, even though our businesses are so different, we are able to connect and cheer each other on through all the good days and bad days.”
Kasey’s experience growing up in a farming family gave her a value for high quality meat and other agricultural products. Meeting Wrenn gave her a chance to offer something to her customers she knew was important but could not do within her own business. “For me, being the daughter of a farmer and rancher, I have high standards for beef and where I find it, how it’s produced. My family is not direct to consumer so getting in connection with Wrenn was an opportunity because they have the direct-to-consumer model figured out.”
A key value of offering menu items from a small local ranch like Pacheco Beef is not simply providing food to her customers. Kasey wants to focus on education around farming and agriculture. “I want to educate my students about where food comes from. It’s a natural thing to talk about in a learning space, another level of education for those who come in to experience MHK Play. It’s an opportunity for our customers to get to know how farming works.”
Wrenn with her husband, Arturo, and her two sons on their family farm. PC: Pacheco Beef website.
As a beef producer and small rancher, the desire to provide education to consumers regarding the origin of their food is an important value for Wrenn. “People have questions about agriculture. People have questions about why and how things are done. As agriculturalists, we need to tell our story that we are not a factory farm. We are a family farm. If you are buying local, you get to meet me, or meet the rancher who raised that beef.” She adds, “Our food is sustainable, the research and practices we have put in place are sustainable so we can continue to feed people for generations.” For Wrenn and her husband, sustainability means they will be more likely to be able to pass on their farm to their sons in the future.
Wrenn hopes her accessibility allows both her customers and Kasey’s the opportunity to get to know not only their farm location and practices, but she also hopes to serve a resource when they have questions. “If someone wants to know about running a farm or ranch, it’s important they know where to go, and we want to be able to build relationships and answer questions for them. Our customers want to be able to see the calf that was born this fall and know that we were part of that process every step of the way, that the calf had all the green grass they wanted during green grass season.
Kasey adds of the partnership, “Wrenn will be in weekly to be able to connect with customers. And we are looking at ways to continue to support each other in the future.”
Visit MHK Play Studio’s Sip and Snack Soda Shop open on Tuesday through Saturday and grab a grazing box from Pacheco Beef, or order from Wrenn directly their website.
