Playground Art & Coffee, a community-focused coffeehouse and maker space, is getting ready to open in North Park at 3043 University Avenue.
The new cafe will move into the former home of Verbana Kitchen. The owner, Spring Barnickle, tells What Now San Diego that the concept will celebrate its opening on March 26th, with a rolling grand opening event from March 26–28, including special daily activities and a VIP launch party earlier in March. Customers can expect a mix of housemade pastries, nostalgic and health-conscious treats, specialty coffee drinks, matcha, and a variety of creative workshops aimed at fostering community connections.
Playground Art & Coffee is the culmination of Spring’s vision, described as “a lifetime’s work and passions come to fruition.” The cafe offers a fun, retro-inspired 1970s interior, soft, cozy seating, and an atmosphere that helps customers relax and unwind. It is intended as both a place to enjoy high-quality coffee and a creative environment for adults to explore art and maker activities.
The beverage program blends classic coffee offerings with playful, inventive drinks. Traditional espresso, Americano, latte, and cappuccino options are available alongside specialty creations such as the Hazelnut Sesame Latte, Pandan Mint Mocha, Creamsicle Cold Brew, Root Beer Latte, Salted Nutella Whipped Mocha, and Ube Matcha Latte. Customers can also enjoy coffee tonics and sodas, including Espresso Tonic, Orange Yuzu Coffee Soda, Dirty Ube Chai Soda, and Strawberry Matcha Soda. Drinks can be customized with flavored cold foams, and the team emphasizes sustainability and responsible sourcing of ingredients. Playground Art & Coffee is also partnering with Torque Coffee to source its coffee beans. Torque is located in City Heights and has a 20-year history of roasting award-winning, sustainably grown coffee.
Playground’s food menu is largely housemade and designed to balance nostalgia, indulgence, and health-conscious choices. Signature items include croissant bars in flavors like Almond, Pistachio, Chocolate, Strawberry Chocolate, Cinnamon Roll, Cherry Vanilla, and Salted Nutella. Nostalgic sweets are reimagined with items like Galactic Brownies, Protein Cookie Dough Bites, Gooey Ube Cheesecake Bars, and Peanut Butter Fudge Protein Minis. Savory options feature handheld pastries and phyllo twists, many of which are vegan or gluten-free, along with “Grown-Up Lunchables” for convenient, balanced midday meals.
Beyond food and drink, Playground emphasizes community connection and creative play. Weekly events include Dopamine Thursdays for casual art projects, Saturday Playdates featuring step-by-step workshops, and Sunday Sunshine sessions with chocolate tastings, coffee cuppings, and mocktail-making classes. Spring hopes the cafe encourages adults to take a break, engage creatively, and share joyful moments with others in a welcoming, playful environment.
Hours for the new North Park location will be Monday through Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cafe is designed to be a neighborhood hub for coffee, creativity, and community, making it a unique addition to North Park’s lively, walkable streets.
