PARMA, Ohio — Make Believe Family Fun Center in Parma is closing its doors, and some customers said they’re not happy after spending money they’re afraid they’re not going to get back.
“I hope that business [and] the owners do the right thing and refund them, but, you know, give the business owners a little breathing room. Let them figure out what to do 'cause I'm sure they have like 1,000 things they have to deal with,” said Former Make Believe Family Fun Center customer Yana Katsevich.
In recent weeks, several local businesses in Northeast Ohio have closed due to financial challenges. The most recent closure was at Melt Bar and Grilled in Lakewood.
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Now you can add Make Believe Family Fun Center in Parma to that list, which Katsevich said she’s sad to hear.
“It's just like this trend we're seeing that businesses, especially small businesses are closing down,” Katsevich said.
According to a Facebook post, the children’s amusement center, which has been open for the last eight years in Parma, announced its closure late Tuesday night.
The notice explained the business is shutting down after experiencing significant rises in the cost of operational needs and a decline in customer turnout.
While the post thanked customers for their business, it did not mention unused gift cards or tokens that some customers, like Carolyn Unwin Hall, still had.
That’s why Hall said she’s sending this message, which she shared with News 5 on Facebook, saying she thinks it’s bad form to close like that and not let people know so they could use up their gift cards, credits and tickets.
“I just hope that the business owners do the right thing, and I also want them to know that I'm sure they made a lot of kids happy. I think a lot of kids made so many nice memories there,” Katsevich said.
News 5 reached out to the owners of Make Believe Family Fun Center, and they have yet to get back to us.
In the meantime, News 5 will continue to keep you updated if we hear anything back from them.
