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SCHENECTADY — On Thursdays, Cornells offers a prix-fixe, date night menu. A six-course meal complete with a glass of bubbly, either alcoholic or non-alcoholic, and dessert for $75 per couple. Now, it can also include complimentary child care.
“A lot of couples would come and say, ‘We really want to enjoy ourselves, but please know that we have a babysitter and the clock is ticking,’” said Maria Papa, the restaurant’s owner. “We noticed that if couples were taking advantage of this great deal, they were also showing some anxiety, because the clock was ticking and sometimes they were actually paying more in child care than they were on the whole meal.”
The eatery, located at 39 N. Jay St. in Schenectady’s Little Italy, has turned its banquet room into a pop-up day care for diners on Thursdays, with staff dedicated to the room that offers children’s activities and an optional children’s menu.
“Boy oh boy, did it take off,” Papa said. “Not only is it a burden off of the parents, because of the financial investment, but also they have the peace of mind knowing that their children are under the same roof.”
Cornells asks that parents of children wearing diapers be able and ready to change their children’s diaper, if needed. Children are able to be brought to their parents if they are in need of a change or if they become upset.
Papa shared a story about a couple who came in recently.
“They saw our Facebook ad, and they said it was, ‘better than adult Christmas,” she said. “When they left, it was, just the relief in this couple, just the transformation physically from when they walked in to when they left, was worth the price of admission for all of us involved. It’s something that we enjoy doing as a team, we are moms and dads and family people, it’s a win-win for everybody.”
The child care is free of charge to guests on Thursday, with the only additional cost connected to the optional children’s menu. Everything available for children is between $10 and $12, and includes a beverage, an entree and a dessert.
“We want Thursday nights to be a reasonable option for families to go out and have this experience,” Papa said. “It’s just a thank you to our clientele for not only Cornell’s in Little Italy, but all of the Schenectady Little Italy community. We’re so grateful for the outpouring of community support for our neighborhood.”
Families wishing to utilize the complimentary child care should make a reservation on resy.com, search “Cornells in Little Italy,” and include the number of children in the party and their ages in the reservation comments section, or by calling Cornells at 518-630-5002. Reservations can be made as early as two months ahead of time, Papa said.
Since starting to offer the service earlier this spring, the restaurant has had between five and six children participating each week. The child care also offers children a variety of different activities each week, such as coloring, blowing bubbles, a children’s version of “paint and sip” with grape juice, a hula hoop dance party and a game night with board games and giant Jenga.
“It’s important to know that we take the stewardship of other people’s children very seriously,” Papa said. “We have a certified EMT on staff, and we also have a kindergarten teacher on staff to help with the activities, and we’re moms.”
Contact reporter Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @_natasha_7.
Categories: -News-, Business, Email Newsletter, Food, Life and Arts, Life and Arts, News, Schenectady, Schenectady County
