Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shastina Troup. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Shastina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Why I Opened Haven Play Lounge & Cafe?
It’s so much more than an indoor playground or just a cafe. I wanted to create a space where people could have fun, feel happiness, and find a sense of community and belonging.

I had a lot of heartbreak growing up and lost many of my family and friends. Finding community lit a fire in me — it gave me purpose and a sense of connection I really needed.

After seeing how dark and disconnected the world became during and after COVID, I felt like I had to create something that brought people together again. I wanted more than social media interaction and like buttons — I wanted real connection. Fun, laughter, games, and new friends.

Where moms, dads, nannies, caregivers & friends could feel like they had a tribe again.

After working with kids for 15 years, I saw how lonely it can feel sometimes. I wanted to build a place that gave us support, and that community still matters.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am Shastina Troup, the owner and founder of Haven Play Lounge & Café. I created this space for those rainy days — or those days when you simply don’t want to be outside — but still want your kids to have room to move, play, and explore while you enjoy community, get some work done, or take a moment to rest.

Not only do we provide an indoor playground, but we also offer games and activities for older kids and adults. On top of our play areas, we’ve built a café focused on fresh, healthy food. Our goal has always been to be a hub for health, wellness, movement, and meaningful connection — all paired with delicious food and drinks.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

Funding the business wasn’t easy. We already had our first business, which my partner started, but I wanted to follow my own dream with Haven Play Lounge. We used everything we had saved to fund this venture ourselves. That meant we couldn’t start with all the high-end items I envisioned, but we showed up every single day to build, refine, and grow the space into a safe, fun, and aesthetically pleasing environment.

It took a lot of trial and error, many late nights, and constant planning and saving — but every step was worth it to create a place our community could love.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I originally moved to Scotts Valley, California after the Paradise fire. It took everything from me and my family, and we had to start completely over with nothing. I moved to the area with $20 in my pocket. Then, when COVID hit, it nearly destroyed my partner’s business — and once again, we found ourselves rebuilding from the ground up.

Starting your life and your business over multiple times is incredibly difficult, but those experiences made me even more determined. They pushed me to pour everything into creating something meaningful and lasting this time around. Haven Play Lounge became that purpose — a place built from resilience, community, and the belief that new beginnings can turn into something beautiful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://havenplayloungeandevents.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/havenplaylounge?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560640993386&mibextid=wwXIfr