Before Jordan was born, I was working in corporate. After my maternity leave, I made a decision that a lot of people around me didn't quite understand — I resigned.
I wanted to be home with him. So I was. And for the first seven months of his life, my world was feeding schedules, nap times, and figuring out how to keep a tiny human happy. I wasn't complaining — I loved every bit of it — but I also wasn't really going anywhere or doing much outside of home.
Then one day, my cousin invited me to a play café.
I remember walking in and just thinking — where has this been? It was such a simple concept but it felt so new to me. A space where kids could play freely, and parents could actually sit down and breathe. I hadn't been exposed to anything like it before. Honestly, kids these days are so blessed.
But more than the experience itself, something clicked in my head that day.
What if I built something like this — but for Jordan? And what if other families could come and play too?
Every mum's dream, right? Build a playground for your kid and somehow make money from it at the same time. I filed the idea away and didn't think too much of it.
Then Jordan was almost one.
I was catching up with my friend Nana — the kind of catch-up where you're just talking about life, no real agenda — and I casually brought up this idea. Half joking, half serious.
Nana didn't laugh it off.
And just like that, we were both in.
We went from "wouldn't it be nice" to full-on rocket ship mode — and I mean that literally. Within a single month, we had ChatGPT-ed a rough cost estimate, contacted multiple property agents, gone for unit viewings, and called every single connection we had to kick this off. Decisions that people spend months overthinking, we made in weeks. It was chaotic, exciting, and honestly a little bit crazy.
(A word of advice though — don't trust ChatGPT's costing. We overbudgeted on so many things we didn't even know we had to pay for. Hahaha. Lesson learned the fun way.)
And then there was our contractor — who somehow completed the entire renovation in 22 days. Twenty. Two. Days. We are still amazed by that. What they pulled off in that space, in that timeframe, still makes us grateful every time we walk through the door.
But of course, nothing is ever perfectly smooth. Our WiFi LAN cable went missing right before we opened — and even the building management had no idea where it went. To this day, it remains one of life's great mysteries. 😅
And through all of this, we became the electrician, the plumber, the barista, the carpenter — and we are still collecting hats. If there's a job that needed doing, chances are one of us has attempted it at some point.
Hi, we're the co-founders of Naru Play Café. 🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♀️
Here's the part we don't mind admitting.
In the early research stage, Nana and I started looking into food. And our initial plan was… let's just say, humble.
Frozen fried chicken. Jarred pasta sauces. Nuggets. Things you throw into an air fryer or drop into boiling water to reheat.
Our thinking at the time was simple — parents just need a place to bring their kids to run around, drain their energy, and scroll their phones in peace. Food is secondary. Nobody's coming here for the food.
We were so wrong. And we are so glad we figured that out before we opened the doors.
Because parents don't just want a space. They want to enjoy the space. They want coffee that's actually good. Food that they'd actually choose to eat. A place that feels nice enough to sit in for two hours without feeling like you're just waiting for your kid to get tired.
That realisation changed everything about how we built Naru.
The rest, as they say, is history.
We are so grateful for every single person who helped bring this dream to life. Our designer, who somehow translated exactly what was in our heads into that warm, Muji-inspired space you walk into today. Our coffee — curated to taste heavenly, especially when it's hot. And our food, which we are genuinely proud of.
We always say this, and we mean it: Naru is not a playground that serves frozen food.
It is a play café where you can hear little ones giggling and laughing in the background, parents wrapping both hands around a hot cup of coffee, and birthday celebrations that families keep coming back for.
And none of this would exist without Nana — my partner, my co-founder, and honestly, my person in this whole crazy journey. People always say partnerships are hard. That you'll fight over decisions, disagree on everything, and eventually drive each other mad. Maybe that's true for some. But with Nana? It never felt that way. She said yes when I was half joking, she showed up every single day, and she never once made me feel like I was in this alone. If building Naru taught me anything, it's that the right partner makes all the difference. I got really, really lucky. 💚
And to my husband — who held everything together when I couldn't. During those early opening months, when I was running on no sleep, zero bandwidth, and full panic mode, he quietly stepped in and took care of Jordan, the house, and me. He supported me mentally, physically, and emotionally without being asked. Not every dream gets a support system like that. I don't take it for granted for a single day.
Now it's Naru. And we wouldn't trade it for anything.
Naru Play Café is located in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.
Come visit us — we'd love to see you and your little ones.