Café in Truro, N.S., offers customers a place to play in the sand

Digger’s Café in Truro encourages patrons to sip, stay and play.

A café in Truro, N.S., offers patrons the opportunity to play in the sandbox.

Customers at Digger’s Café can operate remote-controlled heavy-duty equipment from the edges of the sandbox area while they sip their cup of coffee or enjoy a snack. Owner Jon Keddy says it’s a place for people of all ages.

“It instantly brought me back to being a child or a teenager when I was heavily involved with radio-controlled equipment in my father’s electronics shop,” Keddy says.

Staff at the café help customers of different ages select a vehicle to control.

“There’s crawlers, there’s diggers, dump trucks, excavators, bulldozers, some heavy duty some light duty,” Keddy says.

The idea, he says, is to enjoy an hour of playtime, escape reality and remember their childhood.

“It just reminded me of how things were so simple and basic back then,” Keddy said.

The café has partnered with the Red Knot Bakery, a roaster to make their own brand of coffee and a local creamery that makes their ice cream.

“Keeps the local economy running and gives the local consumers also a local experience,” Keddy says.

Kids who come to the café might learn something about operating equipment, building or robotics, but the real objective, says Keddy, is play.

“It’s kind of play therapy for all ages as well.”

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