Leon Oh’s popular brand of pastel playlands has now opened in Wollongong. Photo: Chouchou Bebe.
Following its runaway success at Warrawong Plaza, an indoor play haven for weary shoppers and their energetic little ones has opened at Wollongong Central.
The newest Chouchou Bebe outlet can be found on level one of Wollongong Central’s Gateway Building, near David Jones.
Chouchou Bebe owner Leon Oh says the biggest difference between the Wollongong and Warrawong branches is the target age group.
“While Warrawong was aimed at kids up to about eight years old, Wollongong is about three-quarters the footprint, and more comfortable for parents of children up to five years old,” he says.
“From their vantage point with a coffee in hand, they’ll be able to keep an eye on their kids as they safely explore the various activities.”
With an emphasis on safety and a lot of soft play, Chouchou Bebe Wollongong offers a combination of play equipment, games and activities designed to engage younger children for hours.
Spread out across two distinct levels joined by towers and a bridge, there’s LEGO and large foam block play, “Tiny Town” with market and kitchen play, train sets, slides, jungle gym, a floor piano, mini enclosed trampolines, electronic games, manual games for gross and fine motor skill development and of course, the signature Chouchou Bebe ball pit.
“As much as Chouchou Bebe is designed to entertain kids, it’s a break for parents, too, who can sit comfortably in a gated area, sip a coffee and eat some food in peace knowing their kids are engaged, having fun and most of all, safe,” Leon says.
As with all Chouchou Bebe venues, Wollongong offers customisable event packages for parties, with a range of options for catering, entertainment and rooms for hire, including the whole venue for private parties.
In Leon’s native Korea, indoor play centres are a common feature in shopping centres. He created the Chouchou brand two decades ago to answer what he knew would be demand for something similar in Australia.
“Australia is obviously great when it comes to outdoor entertainment, particularly in places like the Illawarra where there are so many ways to enjoy the beaches, bush and natural beauty. But as a parent I know that’s not always what you need,” he says.
“Whether it’s because of bad weather or you’re simply time-poor and need to entertain the kids in between the shopping, this offers a great alternative.”
The popular brand of pastel playlands already existed in four greater Sydney suburbs when Leon chose the Illawarra for its foray into regional shopping centres.
Warrawong provided a proof of concept, and Wollongong appears to be following suit.
“We’ve had an incredible response, and it has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is great demand for this product here,” Leon says.
The finishing touches are going on at Stockland Shellharbour, which is slated to complete the plan for three Illawarra outlets in August.
Chouchou Bebe Wollongong is located at Wollongong Central, 200 Crown Street, Wollongong and is open Monday to Wednesday from 9 am to 4 pm, Thursday and Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.
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