When the Kids Took Over: A Café’s Side Quest Adventure with the Isle of Wight Follies

The owners of The Seagull’s Nest Café (names changed to avoid a parental uprising) had heard of Isle of Wight Follies Side Quests. A mythical treasure hunt in your own garden? Installed free if you’re on the Business Plan? It sounded… fine. But was it really something families wanted?

So they asked their kids.

That’s led to absolute lunacy!

“DRAGONS!” one shrieked, leaping off the sofa like a caffeinated goblin.“MERMAIDS! FAIRIES! TROLLS!” yelled another, running in circles and knocking over the dog. The passports came out, already half-filled with stamps and scribbles, and suddenly the idea of mythical creatures turning up in their own café garden was just too much for small human brains to handle. The children went into full overload mode: jumping, flapping, talking at the speed of light about how they’d definitely find treasure by the carrot patch and maybe a griffin in the car park.

For a moment, it was chaos. And then, miracle of miracles, the sheer excitement wore them out. They crashed. Slept. Drooled. And in that blissful silence, the café owners looked at each other and thought: What if the kids aren’t just total lunatics? What if… they’re right?

So the Café Installed an Isle of Wight Follies Side Quest

After the kids’ meltdown about dragons and mermaids, the café finally picked up the phone and contacted Mark at Isle of Wight Follies.

A few days later, Mark popped over in person. He walked the garden, took some photos, and even asked for the kids’ ideas (which naturally included a griffin in the carrot patch and a troll by the bins). Smiling politely, he promised to work his magic. Mark gave us another bundle of collectable cards, telling us that we'd be needing them.

A week later, the treasure hunt was ready. Five NFC clues had been tucked into the garden, weatherproof, invisible to grown-ups, but irresistible to young adventurers. No app required: just tap with a phone and if you've a game pass, you can play straight away. Fortunately, the passports we have enable gameplay immediately!

Mark gave some simple advice: “Promote it. Tell families they can start right here, right now. Mention the passports. Remind parents it’s fun for the kids, and a breather for them.”

And guess what? He was right. Kids hunted, collected, and squealed with joy. Parents lingered over coffee in peace. Families who came for squash and crisps stayed for full meals. Passport sales brought in extra revenue (healthy markup), and the café gained an attraction that will last for years with zero maintenance.

The Business Lesson you never expect...

Sometimes inspiration doesn’t come from marketing reports or business consultants. Sometimes it comes from children shrieking about mermaids until they collapse in a heap.

And sometimes, they’re right.

If your business wants a follies side quest, then find out more here and give us a shout.

BUSINESS SIDE QUEST