Father of three makes indoor playground his business

Meet Your Neighbor: Stephen Levin, 42 Stephen Levin believes in karma, especially good karma. When he took over the café/indoor playground space at Downtown at the Gardens in Palm Beach Gardens, he knew he needed to change the name. “Cool beans was an expression we used when we were kids,” Levin said by phone. “We wanted something fun that rolls off the tongue, an international name. I understood the importance of being distinctive.” Cool Beans Indoor Playground and Café is Levin’s first venture into the playground space, but he’s been doing sales and marketing of one kind or another for most of his career, including a long relationship with Direct Buy, the private buyers club. Levin moved from St. Louis to Orlando in 1993, and to Palm Beach County in 2000. He says the happiest place on earth drew him in with its promise of fun and growth. A perfect place to “strike out and make my mark in the world,” he says, laughing. Levin, who had visited the indoor playground as a dad with his three kids in tow, knew there was a lot he could do to improve the space. He upgraded the interior, which has trampolines, inflatable slides, and a giant foam pit. He added a reading nook and toddler storytime area and revamped the café menu to include healthier options. “We added new equipment and made it cleaner, safer, better, more engaging and more fun for the caregivers,” he said. And you won’t find an electronic game anywhere: “No winks or blinks or beeps,” Levin said, proudly. The Wellington father says the most difficult part of the venture is finding great staff. “We want vibrant, energetic people who are excited to be around kids,” he said. “It’s difficult to find young people today that isn’t consumed with themselves.” He loves being able to mentor his employees, to get them ready to make their own marks in the world. “We have an employee handbook, but we also teach lifestyle skills. Smile, make eye contact, please, thank you, the basics of customer service. I think no one ever showed them a better way. They never got any coaching,” Levin said. “I’m interested in personal development. The general message is if you put good out you get good back.” He believes in negotiation and compromises and “will engage only in transactions where all parties win.” His staff is first aid, CPR-, and AED-certified. “A young girl on the playground prone to seizures had a seizure and the staff handled it really well,” Levin said. “We have our own strict and stringent policies. We clean and sanitize all day long, toys, games, puzzles. We make every effort to knock down the dirt, and to kill bacteria using green products.” Levin is ambitious and he believes hard work pays off. He’s a leader, with high standards, and he expects his staff to meet them. He wants nothing but their best, he says. “I want Cool Beans to be the Cadillac of the café playground experience.” View article on Palm Beach Post

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