Entrepreneur Linh Le says people usually see her as overly ambitious, or as someone who looks a lot shorter and younger than the average business owner. While that may be true, it hasn’t stopped Linh in her pursuit as a business innovator.
“They say, ‘Hey Linh, how are you so short and small, but you do a lot?” Linh says. “I tell them, don’t look at me. Don’t look at the outside. Because when I want to do something big, I think really big.”
Linh came to the Brazos Valley as an international student studying at Blinn College. After two years of pursuing a degree in business management, she decided to unenroll and take on her first business venture: a nail shop called Linh’s Nails. Five years later she opened a restaurant, then started an Airbnb. Now, her most recent endeavor is launching a children’s play experience unlike any other — Wonderland Indoor Playground.
“During my first five years, I had no one with me,” Linh says about her business journey. “I came to America by myself when I was 19 and I didn’t speak a lot of English. I struggled, but the struggle made me stronger. A lot of people said, ‘You can’t do it.’ But I said ‘Give me 10 years, give me 15 years, I will show you what I can do.’”
Linh recalls seeing a need in the community and trying to fill that need with a new business idea.
“Whenever [my husband and I] want to do something for our kids, we usually go to Houston, Austin or Katy for the indoor playgrounds,” Linh says. “So, one time I went to the Woodlands for the indoor playground there and I thought about why we don’t have any for kids in College Station.”
Over time, Linh thought more about the lack of places for elementary-age kids. She recognized that though there were a lot of businesses targeting college students, there was a clear void when it came to children’s entertainment facilities.
“I wanted to do something for the community where kids come and have fun and the parents can come and play with the children, even if it is cold or hot outside,” Linh says. “It’s having somewhere to go and make memories.”
Creating Wonderland Indoor Playground took about three years, and when she finally found a location for it, the COVID-19 shutdown took full effect happened. During that time, Linh visited indoor playgrounds around Texas to study and combine what makes each business successful and fun for kids.
“I went to more than 15 playgrounds in Katy and Houston and whenever I’d go on vacation, I would also go to different playgrounds to get an idea,” Linh says.
She decided that combining different aspects of play would help engage kids in a way that would be entertaining and educational. Now, the indoor playground is up and running, with play areas for kids to “pretend play” as a doctor, firefighter or in a restaurant. There are tables with sand, some with Lego building areas and books for them to explore.
“We have these so they can pretend and explore what they want to be in the future,” Linh says.
Of course, there is also an indoor play area with lots of space for climbing, slides and exploring tunnels.
The indoor playground has a staff of varying ages to ensure the playground stays clean and areas stay organized. One parent is required to stay with their child as they play and they can alternate between playing with their child or waiting in the parent area.
“Wonderland is not just for kids to go and play,” Linh says. “I want the parents to go and relax and be with [their kids] outside the home.”
Wonderland Indoor Playground also offers party packages and field trip specials with a variety of customized additions. With your choice of package, the staff can decorate, provide goodie bags and pizza, and parent attendance is free.
Linh says the underlying goal of Wonderland Indoor Playground is inspiring kids to believe that they can do anything they set their minds to. Even their colorful logo, she says, was created to reflect people from different backgrounds coming together to have fun and dream big.
“The W in Wonderland means the world,” Linh says. “I want to tell people that it doesn’t matter who you are, or where you are coming from, you can make your dreams come true.”
Wonderland Indoor Playground is open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends. Visit wonderlandplaybcs.com to learn more.
