Dear Lubbock Adults, You Can Have Your Birthday At A “Kids” Place Too

I recently helped (sort of) plan an adult birthday party at a "kids" place, and we all had an amazing time with very little planning effort involved. It was fun, easy, and really perfect for the diverse mix of friends we invited to Peter Pieper Pizza (6003 Slide Rd). Here are a few observations and tips if you are looking for a fun and laid-back party experience for your next adult birthday party.

Ask The Venue (And The Adult) Before You Plan

I had the privilege of meeting some of the senior leadership of Peter Piper Pizza when the Lubbock location had its Grand Opening back in May of this year. I told them I was planning on having this party at PPP, and they all enthusiastically cheered me on. My adult grew up in New Mexico and had childhood parties at PPP, so it was an obvious, fun, and nostalgic choice for their birthday.

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Would a bounce house place have welcomed us the same way? Maybe not because we would have sent kids flying into the walls. Or maybe they could have set aside space or time for us if we had been serious about that option. That's why it's a great idea to ask in advance.

See What You Should Do In Advance

At Peter Piper Pizza, you can purchase a kid's party in advance that comes with a lot of perks- and it's really affordable, too. You get balloons, a reserved table, gameplay, birthday shout-outs over the intercom, and more. There were about 4 kids' parties going on while we were there.

For us, that didn't exactly make sense since we were going to want adult-sized portions, cups, etc., and we wanted people to be able to come and go as they wished. So we simply got there early enough to claim our table and get a few pizzas started as our friends showed up; however, you can reserve a table in advance for non-child birthday party reasons, depending on how booked up they are. (BTW, the pizza is really good at PPP, everyone enjoyed it.)

With any venue, you'll want to ask a few things in advance, like if it's okay to bring in a birthday cake (PPP had no problem with that), treat bags, etc. Turns out even adults like birthday party souvenir bags; mine were a hit.

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These Parties Can Be Incredibly Inclusive

This was a fun alternative to a bar because not everyone wanted to or could drink, but since PPP does serve beer, those of us who wanted one could have one. Because of this flexibility, kids and teens can attend too, whether that's to help out your friends who might otherwise need a babysitter, or, in our case, we absolutely wanted the kids there, too.

The arcade was truly fun for everyone- from the 4-year-old and her grandmother to everyone else in between. The diversity of ages didn't hinder any fun; in fact, I think it made it much more lively for everyone. So if you have an adult birthday to plan in the future, perhaps think outside the bar; it may be more fun than you think to be family-friendly.