I booked my son's 1st birthday party at Just Kidding Play Cafe three months in advance and paid around $700 for their "Just Show Up" package, which advertised pizza, drinks, snacks, frozen treats, decorations, a party host, full setup, and cleanup. Unfortunately, we did not receive what was promised.
From the moment I booked, communication was almost nonexistent. I never received a confirmation email, receipt, or follow-up about the party. A week before the event, I had to call myself just to ask what colors I had selected because there was no way to review my booking details. I was told to email photos, colors, and the "vibe" I wanted for the theme ("Harrison & Co."), which I immediately did. I received no response.
Two days before the party, I called again to confirm the owner had received the email, and I was told yes. The day before the party, my mom called because I was nervous about the lack of communication, especially with a unique theme. Gabrielle told us she usually does confirmation calls 72 hours in advance (which we never received) and assured us everything was understood and we could "just show up and enjoy the party."
I also dropped off additional decorations the day before, including a banner and photo table pieces of my son.
When I originally booked months earlier, I specifically asked what decorations would be included because I wanted to know what I needed to provide myself. I was told the package would include things like a banner, balloon arch, backdrop, table toppers, number balloon, tablecloths, plates, and more within a $140 decoration budget.
When we arrived, the room was extremely underwhelming and honestly disappointing. The only banner displayed was the one I brought myself. The only table decorations used were the photos I provided. There was one small basic balloon arch, a number balloon, tablecloths, and plates still sitting in the Family Dollar wrapper instead of set out on the tables. The room looked bare.
What made this more disappointing is that the "Just Show Up" parties shown on their social media look nothing like what we received. I had also recently attended my niece's party there and saw firsthand how much more effort, decoration, and detail went into her event compared to ours.
There was also no party host throughout the event. My friend passed out pizza, my sister cut and served cake, and my family cleaned the room ourselves. Right as we were almost finished cleaning, Gabrielle walked in and told us we didn't need to clean because she would do it.
I chose not to address the decoration issues during the party because I wanted to focus on enjoying my son's first birthday instead of dealing with conflict during the event.
At the end of the party, my mom respectfully explained to Gabrielle that while we would still pay in full, we did not receive the services we paid for. There were no frozen treats provided, no host, and the decorations were nowhere near what had been advertised or described to us when booking.
Gabrielle repeatedly responded by saying she had a $140 budget and "didn't know what direction she was allowed to go in" because it wasn't a basic Disney theme... despite having three months to contact us for clarification. She also kept reducing our concerns down to "so you wanted more balloons," which completely missed the point.
What was most disappointing was the lack of accountability afterward. There was no genuine apology, no offer to make it right, no discount, no complimentary pass, nothing.. despite the fact that several advertised services were not provided.
I rarely leave negative reviews, but after paying a premium price for an stress-free "Just Show Up" experience, this was incredibly disappointing. Even more disappointing considering I was a regular customer frequenting at least once a week.. I will never be going back. read more