Jump A Roos, set to open this July in the Southland Mall in Cutler Bay, says it will be Miami’s largest indoor inflatable play area.

LEDWINS@MIAMIHERALD.COM

Hero’s is a well-orchestrated, finely tuned production where the birthday child is the star.  Each child has the opportunity to direct the action, the guests make up the supporting cast and the family is a participatory audience. The Hero’s staff goes out of their way to add a personal touch, calling the family a few days prior to each party in order to become familiar with the child and their interests. The staff member will then make a plan to incorporate the child’s favorite activities, characters or music into this special event – going this extra mile makes a huge difference with Hero’s customers.

As with any small business, Hero’s utilizes skills and innovation to create internal systems that assist in running an effective business, while placing primary focus on meeting customer needs at the same time. Like most Family Entertainment Centers, birthday parties and group events make up a significant portion of the facilities revenue. With young workers and broken systems in place, it can be a challenge to achieve a desirable experience for the customer. Nathan Smith, owner of Hero’s Toledo, explains, “We had been using a software program that we developed locally for 4 years so we were pretty reluctant to switch over to a third-party solution. So, Hero’s ultimately made the decision to switch software packages in order to utilize the Party Center Software online booking module which was lacking from our current software”.  Smith continued, “Before we started using Party Center Software, my wife was tied to her cell phone and laptop 24 hours a day in order to take care of all the calls and bookings that came in, and the time and stress in booking all the parties was overwhelming.  Now that customers can book their parties on-line we are able to answer the phone any time of the day and keep those lines of communication open with our existing customers, and sell our product to potential customers – who now prefer to book online.”

Not only has Hero’s experienced an increase in online party booking, but one of the unexpected perks of Party Center Software has been the increased sales of party extras. Smith says, “Our party add-ons such as fruit trays, balloon bouquets and piñatas has more than tripled now that customers can sit at their computer and browse through the add-ons at their leisure – the bottom line is that in the last 5 months, our average number of parties has increased by 20%, the average price of our parties has gone up by $35, and customers can finally get through to us on the phone.” As Price testifies, “Eliminating frustration and making the entire party experience more convenient is of great value with today’s time starved families.  On-line booking is an essential component for both.”

Having a system in place to ensure that potential human error did not translate to a poor customer experience was critical.  Using PartyCenterSoftware.com, Nathan was able to free up his staff to focus more on providing excellent customer service and allow PartyCenterSoftware.com to maintain an enjoyable online booking and facility management experience – both for his customers and his staff. Nathan proclaimed, “Party Center Software has been the best business move we’ve made in six years…thank you!”

http://www.herostoledo.com/

http://www.birthdayuniversity.com/

Justin Falls – Communications Director, Agile Software and Marketing

PartyCenterSoftware.com is an online party booking and event management tool designed to increase party bookings and eliminate unnecessary labor costs. Included in the PCS suite of tools is a complete EPOS system, time clock, and vendor management feature. Currently operating in seven countries, PartyCenterSoftware.com is marketed and sold by Agile Software and Marketing, based in California.

Copyright © 2011 Party Center Software. All Right Reserved.

3075 Alhambra Dr. #207 Cameron Park, Ca 95682 - PartyCenterSoftware.com
888.804.1166  |  020 3318 3523 (UK Number)  |  02 8014 9939 (Australia Number)

Alley Cats Center is no stranger to Creative Works.  Creative Works has had the privilege of working with Brian Smith, owner of the facility, in building their 4,500 square feet space themed laser tag arena in 2006 and then returned in 2009 to enhance the look of the arena to a high tech space adventure.  The team at Alley Cats contacted Creative Works to add the Lazer Frenzy attraction to a space in their arcade that wasn’t producing the revenue needed.  Lazer Frenzy is a great game to add to any arcade as it produces a great return on the investment.  “We’

# # #

Creative Works, the world leader in creating themed laser tag environments, started with a blank slate and customized one of their Jungle Quest style arenas to fit within the area allocated as part of the new center.  “The height of the space allowed for us to design and build one of our steel play structures for the client to ensure their guests had a great multi-level playing experience,”

The former Kick’s location reopened Friday as a different family entertainment center, America’s Incredible Pizza Company.

Incredible Pizza, headquartered in Springfield, Mo., has 15 other centers in Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, Oklahoma, Utah, Texas, Tennessee and one in Monterrey, Mexico. This is the first in Illinois.

“We’re a family entertainment center based on Christian values,” said Rick Pogue, company president, who was in Springfield last week for the ribbon cutting.

His business card says the company “exists to bring families and friends together through great food and fun…We operate our business by Christian principles, delivering a positive family experience and a fair return to our company.”

Eighty local employees have been hired at the facility, 2744 S. Sixth St., Pogue said.

The 1950s-themed venue (pictured above) offers laser tag, indoor go-karts, mini bowling and more than 50 arcade and video games. Game winners can redeem points for prizes.

There are three large dining rooms and four private rooms for birthday parties, showers, church events, sports team banquets, family reunions and other get-togethers.

An all-you-can-eat buffet features pizza, pasta, taco, nacho, salad and dessert bars, plus two entrees each day, burgers, vegetables, mashed potatoes and the company’s signature item — cinnamon rolls.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Food service ends an hour before closing. Website: www.incrediblepizza.com. Phone: 280-4067.

For more information about Incredible Pizza, plus other restaurant news, read the A La Carte column in the business section of the print edition of today’s (Jan. 9)  SJ-R.

Read Here

Overview

The standard rate of VAT in the UK is changing to 20% on the 4th of January 2011!

What did winning the Aspire Award mean to you?
DJ: We have won several awards in the last few years and the Aspire Award is another sign that we are being recognised as a company that knows what it’s doing. You can wear a big hat and talk the talk, but unless you know how to back that up with actions, the words mean nothing. A lot of people in the industry have called us and that has been great; I think the smaller operators out there can see where we’ve come from and I hope it gives them a sign of what’s possible through hard work and dedication. As I said on the night, it was a victory for the smaller operators out there, for the many husband and wife or family indoor play centre owners who put their whole life into this business. It’s proof that you don’t need huge backing or to spend millions on a site; what you need to do is to get the basics right, keep your centre clean and tidy and give yourself every chance of making a real difference.

MJ: We had no fat bank throwing money at us and as an operation, we could not afford to make too many mistakes, so every move we have made has been well considered and carefully planned out. We don’t have a fancy marketing company working for us; we do everything in-house. I think one of our primary points of difference was that at no stage did we want there to be one Eddie Catz. I had a background in business consultancy and advertising, while Darren was a former professional on the international squash circuit, as well as manager of a Cannons health club in Fulham. We came into this with a very clear view of what we wanted to achieve. Before we opened in Putney, we had a long-term business plan. We already had a 52-page operating manual, which we update and still use today, we had a marketing plan, a board of directors and ambitions to expand. Our development was always going to be gradual and the biggest challenge when expanding is that you need all of the stars in the constellation to line up.

DJ: Sometimes you might find the perfect location when the money’s isn’t quite there, at others the financials add up but the location might be wrong. We have stuck to our plan throughout, always knowing that the key issue is how you are going to pay for yourselves and your staff.

What are the key attributes in a successful play centre?
DJ: I’d say location. You can have the best kit in the world, the best people and the best operation, but if it’s in the wrong place, you’ll still struggle to drag people through the doors. Having said that, you can also have the best location, but the wrong procedures and standards and that won’t work either.

MJ: It’s really important to understand what your customers want and give them that. I look at it like buying Christmas presents, there’s no point buying your child an X Box if he wants a Playstation. We have added a number of dimensions into our business after realising early that it would be impossible to survive on play alone. In Putney, we run 17 classes for pre-school children each week in our studio, as well as classes and events for local schools. We were the first in our industry to introduce classes on this scale and we were also the first to create summer camps, which have been extremely successful. We are also very big on seasonal events; more than 700 children attended Halloween parties at our three centres this year and we make sure we do it properly. If parents are paying for a ticket, they deserve it to be a big deal and we make sure it is. We also have a Beauty Bar called Mini Diva, which provides beauty treatments for ladies and parties for little girls. We don’t want to simply be seen as a destination for play, but also somewhere that children can come for pre-school development and education.

DJ: It’s extremely important for any centre to constantly be refreshing its offer. There are so many ideas out there that can be adapted for indoor play. If you come into any of our centres, you’ll see things we’ve taken from other sectors and made our own. But do it your own way, for your customers – simply copying other peoples’ ideas is not the way to be different. If you want to inspire your customers, come up with something new.

Was opening your second and third centres different to your first venture?
DJ: We learned from our experiences in Putney and our Wimbledon and Newbury sites are different. In Wimbledon, we took over an existing play centre, which was doing well and making money, but it was becoming tired front-of-house and the back-of-house operation was awful. We could see it had a loyal customer base and believed in its potential, so we took it over and for the first month, ran it under its previous name without changing anything. We then got the cleaners in for two days and got rid of the grot, replaced things like ripped posters, swept the car park, trimmed the hedges. Basically, we gave it a complete spring clean, but we didn’t change very much at all. A customer who had been there two days before came in and said ‘I love the refurb’, which just shows the impact a good clean can have. The site in Newbury was different again – we were looking for a new opportunity and this site was a previous indoor play area that had shut down two years before. When we asked around, it was a similar story to Wimbledon, in that everyone used to use it in the early days and liked it, but it had become run down and tatty and parents had stopped wanting to take their children there. We probably spent around a third as much money on Newbury as we did on our first site, because you certainly learn where and how to invest your money and which areas are most important to your customers. The Eddie Catz brand and Eddie as a character has become iconic in and around your centres. That must be very rewarding.

MJ: We designed him ourselves, and when it came to the look and feel, the kids were very important; we wanted a character they would want to hold and cuddle.

DJ: It’s great when you walk down the high street and see children hugging the Eddie Catz doll in their pushchairs – you feel like you’ve really made an impression. We trade tested him with our customers. We put two out on the counter without saying anything to anyone and the kids always went for the one we preferred, which is the Eddie we sell now.

MJ: We have created a community, but we are also an integral part of the community around each of our sites. In Putney, we are the provider of children’s entertainment on the high street and Eddie has become something of a local celebrity, to the extent that he is helping to switch on the Christmas lights this year. We have been very active in each of our local communities since we opened, working with local schools in particular and both hosting and attending events.

Eddie Catz has obviously been successful, but how have you dealt with the tougher times?
MJ: There came a point, when we realised that we were investing so much time and energy in the brand, we had started to lose sight of the real people in the business. So in the last couple of years, we have done an about face and looked to put some of our own identities back into Eddie Catz. We have always promoted from within and I think the customers can appreciate that. They are happier to know that there are people involved with real investment in the business and sometimes they can be more forgiving because of this. There is a definite connection being made between the government and big business at the moment and people respond better to a family-run, customer facing firm company.

DJ: The team working with us has been exceptional. This is not an industry where you’ll make £150,000 a year as a centre manager, but you do get a broad range of experience of food and beverages, health and safety, dealing with customers and leading a team.

MJ: Sometimes, admittedly, you can wonder why you’re doing it, but we have 200,000 visitors a year coming through our doors and we get an average of one complaint on email a month, and that shows we have a team that’s proud of what they do.

Your children were an inspiration behind you moving into the indoor play arena. How have they impacted on the business since then?
MJ: Our children are very much involved in the business and they have helped us in so many ways. It’s amazing how many times something that seems so complex can be so simple when you ask a child. We were looking at buying a centre in Scotland, for instance, and our 10-yearold said ‘daddy, if you’re flying to Scotland and back twice a week, you won’t be making very much profit will you?’. Of course, that was right, but we hadn’t looked at it like that. Our daughter is now 13 and she helps out a lot in the centre. She has a very good eye for the staff and picks up things that we don’t always see.

DJ: A lot of people get into this business because of their kids and we’ve evolved as our children have got older. We have introduced laser quest and our mini diva parties to reflect the changing tastes of our children. The really important thing is that you don’t pay too much attention to that while taking your eye off the needs of the younger children.

Have your attitudes to customers changed after six years in retail?
DJ: When we do get that one complaint a month, we have become more aware of the need to push back a bit, as long as we are 100% confident in our procedures. We always go into detail, defend the centre and engage with the customer who has complained. More often than not, we can turn that complaint around into a positive and, if it comes from a regular customer, that’s sometimes even better.

MJ: We all come into business having being told that the customer is always right, but in a recession, they’re not always right. It’s even more important now that you stand by your staff and your belief in your standards. Running our centres has changed me as a consumer. I used to look for reasons to complain, now I have a completely different perspective.

What future plans do you have for the Eddie Catz empire?
MJ: We are looking to expand further and want to grow the Eddie Catz brand around the country and into Europe. This could happen in a number of ways, including franchising or opening new sites, but what we’re searching for at the moment is existing sites that are welllocated but have perhaps lost their way or have owners who have decided that the indoor play sector is no longer for them. We have the experience and track record now to take on these opportunities and as long as the location is right, there is always a good chance we can turn a business around. We would be very interested to talk to anyone who feels they might fit our criteria.

Having been recognised as the best in the business, what advice would you give to other operators?
DJ: You have to take the time to step back and look at your own business. The easiest thing in the world is to criticise other operators, while ignoring your own faults. Go and see other indoor play operators, but don’t just look at our industry, constantly be on the lookout for ideas in other sectors. See how people do things, how they present themselves, how they deal with customers. Use your friends. Get them in to use the facility and give you honest feedback. One of the reasons we worked so hard to make Putney right was that we live just down the road and it became like an extension of our living room. You can’t have your friends round when the place isn’t clean and you can’t have their children picking things up off the floor. I didn’t want to embarrass myself and to this day lack of cleanliness drives me potty.

MJ: My advice would always be take your business plan and cut it in half, then assume you as the owner will take no salary for the first three years. Can you still survive? If the answer to that is yes, then you’ve got a chance. If it’s no, then don’t bother. This is not a quick payback industry – after six years, we have worked extremely hard to get three sites. We were disenchanted with what we were doing before and the lack of time we could spend together. But we knew the business would take time to develop. Now, even though we spend more time working, we are together a lot more and it’s under our control.

DJ: More people starting out should listen to the people in the industry who have been there and done it already. Sometimes, just talking to someone else who has experienced the ups and downs could be the key to your success. Competition is getting more intense for all of us, but we’re all in the same boat and we can all learn from and help each other. Speak to your competitors. It’s a difficult time, but there is nothing to be gained from stabbing them in the back or plagiarising their ideas. Pick up the phone or have a beer with other operators, you’ll be surprised how much you can get out of it.

Read the Here

INDIANAPOLIS — The International Laser Tag Association has created a new division aimed at serving the family entertainment center industry. The formation of the nonprofit National Association of Family Entertainment Centers was announced in mid-November during the IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando, FL. It is expected to grow into a standalone sister association of the laser tag group.

NAFEC presently counts 200 members, all of which are associated with ILTA, which counts 500 members. The organization is offering six months’ free membership to anyone who joins in any of the three membership categories: developer, operator or supplier.

The laser tag association’s board is providing leadership to NAFEC under the direction of ILTA president Davor Franicevich, who owns Laser Tag of Baton Rouge and Laser Tag of New Orleans.

“Once we get the ball rolling, NAFEC may have a life of its own with its own board of directors and separate membership,” said Eric Gaizat, who serves as membership services director for both associations.

The growth of NAFEC’s membership and its development of separate leadership are expected to accelerate during the first quarter of 2011, particularly as the association launches a dedicated insurance program for FEC owners and operators. NAFEC may use ILTA’s insurance company or negotiate policies with a new carrier, Gaizat said.

Gaizat said it’s “premature” for NAFEC to decide if it will produce a trade show, but disclosed that the trade show question is the most frequently asked which is directed to the nascent organization. NAFEC will offer ongoing educational programs, he said.

NAFEC also announced the formation of the Supplier Advisory Council, which includes U-Profit’s Bill Carlson, Amusement Entertainment Management’s Frank Seninsky, Prime Play’s Nathan Jones and Agile Software and Marketing’s Scott Drummond.

Carlson and Seninsky were both members of the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry, which folded into the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. Both men were vocal critics of IALEI’s merger with IAAPA, which took place in October 2009.

Sources said the Supplier Advisory Council is “very loosely” affiliated with NAFEC. However, any association of Carlson and Seninsky with the new FEC association — no matter how informal or arms-length — is bound to raise questions about whether the faction views itself as a rival to IAAPA for operator loyalty.

NAFEC’s announcement of its birth provided a hint that such an interpretation may not be unwarranted. “Many [FEC] operators are concerned that their ability to be treated as equals with other high-profile members of [IAAPA] is nonexistent,” the new organization claimed. “We know what it is like to be a member of a large association where you are spoken at instead of spoken to. Our objective is to make each member feel important to the industry as a whole by taking the time to work with them individually and use those experiences to assist other members in similar circumstances.”

NAFEC said its mission is “to help our members become better informed through our research, services and communications with all levels of the industry … to provide our members with up-to-date data on safety, operations, marketing, seminars, trade shows and … to give [members] the knowledge and resources to grow their business and increase revenues.”

NAFEC’s launch announcement also said: “Our aim is to be the voice for the small business FECs and provide a forum for operators to share innovative ideas, learn from industry professionals and consultants, develop effective marketing strategies and address industry obstacles.”

Parent association ILTA was formed in 1996. Just over half of ILTA’s membership is based in the United States. National Association of Family Entertainment Centers is online at fecoperator.org and can be reached at (317) 786-9755.

Cool de Sac, the family entertainment center that combines delicious and nutritious cuisine, with games and entertainment for kids, was recently awarded “Best Children’s Entertainment” by South Florida Parenting Magazine, the most valuable source of parenting information and local resources for families in South Florida, and “Most Kid-Friendly Amenities” by MyKidsPlate.com, an Orlando-based kid-friendly dining guide.

Recognized in the July 2010 Kids Crown Award issue, the “Best Children’s Entertainment” award was given to Cool de Sac to honor the family establishment for its intellectual games and various play areas, which include stations for art, blocks, games, tots, a play unit, a salon and an electronic and interactive games area. In addition, the family entertainment center also offers workshops for mommies and their little ones to bond and learn through play.

Cool de Sac’s second award was rendered by MyKidsPlate.com’s Platinum Plate Awards, awards recognizing family restaurants for having outstanding kid-friendly establishments. The “Most Kid-Friendly Amenities” award was presented to Cool de Sac for its safe and clean highchairs; changing tables in both men’s and women’s restrooms; kids’ cups with bendable straws; and Step-n-Washes, a step pad that that allows kids to wash their hands on their own.

“We are honored to receive the two well-recognized awards,” said Amy Madson, director of operations. “Cool de Sac is a family entertainment center not only built for children, but for parents as well. At our establishment, we strive to deliver high-quality food and service, while also making it a fun and safe place for kids.”

About Cool de Sac:

Cool de Sac, located in the city of South Miami, is a family entertainment center not only built for children, but for parents as well. The family establishment strives to deliver high quality food and service, while also providing a fun and safe venue for children. Providing its families with intellectual games and activities, its play areas include stations for arts, blocks, games, tots, a salon, a play unit and an electronic and interactive games area Lightspace® Play. For more information about the family entertainment center, please visit www.cool-de-sac.com .

Incredible Pizza Laser Tag Arena

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Creative Works’ Theme Factory recently installed their first laser tag arena in the country of Mexico. They
added a 3,600 square foot arena to a new family entertainment center in Guadalajara, Mexico’s second
largest city.

Creative Works’ Theme Factory recently installed their first laser tag arena in the country of Mexico. They
added a 3,600 square foot arena to a new family entertainment center in Guadalajara, Mexico’s second
largest city also known as the Land of Tequila and Mariachi Bands. It’s fitting that a city famous for
extraordinary vacations now houses an extraordinary laser tag experience at Laser Zone Fun Center. The
space themed arena is sure to capture everyone’s attention as it’s the only one of its kind in the entire
country of Mexico. With cosmic interplanetary murals and futuristic glowing barriers, the arena has the
look and feel of something out of this galaxy!
Paul Wagner and John Lines, the owners of the new center, found Creative Works at the International
Laser Tag Association trade show this past April in Las Vegas, Nevada. These gentlemen had seen other
themed arenas by Creative Works and knew that they wanted to add CW to their team of vendors. Known
as the Laser Tag Experts when it comes to designing and building these attractions, Creative Works was
able to create a high-tech space themed two-level arena with vivid colors and shapes to deliver the “Wow
Effect”.
The city and its people were excellent hosts to the Creative Works team that travelled across the border for
this project. “We were delighted to work with such great people and build a site that will entertain and
create memories for years to come,” said Jeff Schilling, the Chief Architect of Experience at Creative
Works. “Although our cultures are different, the game of laser tag and its appeal is worldwide.” The
owners were ecstatic at the end results of the themed arena. “We were impressed with the professionalism
of the Creative Works team. They did a great job from beginning to end and we’re looking forward to
continuing our relationship in the future,” said Paul Wagner.
Laser Zone is sure to leave an impression in the cultural center of Western Mexico when it opens later this
month.

Creative Works Theme Factory builds and designs attractions for family entertainment centers. We provide
laser tag arenas, black light miniature golf, our Lazer Frenzy laser maze attraction and theming in general.

www.thewoweffect.com
Category Entertainment, Games, Tourism

America’s Incredible Pizza Company announced today it will open its second Memphis location at the Hickory Ridge Mall at 6075 Winchester Road. The grand opening date is set for Thursday, October 7th. The huge indoor family fun center will hire over 100 full and part time employees. Rick Barsness, CEO had this to say about the company’s latest location, “I’m delighted to open our second location at the Hickory Ridge Mall; our family fun center is part of the long-term plan for the mall. Millions of dollars have been put into renovations since the 2008 tornado. World Overcomers Outreach Ministries Church Inc., has done a fantastic job in revitalizing the area by bringing in our family-friendly entertainment product.”

The nostalgic 1950s-themed facility features an all-you can eat buffet including pizza, pasta, salad, home-style food and dessert bars along with an extensive family themed games and attractions center.
The new 38,000 square-foot family entertainment center located in the Hickory Ridge Mall will be all-indoor, smoke and alcohol free, and offers seating for hundreds of people. There are four 50s-themed dining rooms with private rooms available for birthday parties, corporate meetings and other group events. The fairgrounds game room will contain attractions like Mini-Bowling, Mini-Golf, Bumper Cars and over 100 video and redemption games.

Birthday party guests and honorees at the new fun center will enjoy private party rooms, activities, food, party gift bags and game play. Parents can leave the set-up, cleanup, and entertainment to the staff. Incredible Pizza does all the work, so parents can spend their time enjoying the party with the children.

Additional information may be found online at: www.incrediblepizza.com

Drummond will be exhibiting at the Leisure International Week in Birmingham, UK in late September and along with 9 other finalist will display his PartyCenterSoftware.com product to be voted on by members of the PPA.  He hopes to bring home top prize for his newly released version of his online party booking and facility management software. “This will be our first year exhibiting at LIW so I am very excited to meet many of our customers in person and if we can bring home the award it will make for one great trip!  I’m just thankful for our customers and all they do to help us grow as a business”, said Drummond.

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PartyCenterSoftware.com is the world leader in online party booking and event management.  From an industry leading webPOS system to our online management tools, we help businesses in the fun industry improve their customer experience, increase revenue and decrease costs.  Some of the top franchises around the world rely on PartyCenterSoftware.com every day to run their facilities.

Scott Drummond started his first digital marketing business in 1998, owned and operated his own fun center for many years and has been a long-time member of the fun industry.   His experience in marketing and software, along with running and operating an FEC, give him a unique and cutting-edge perspective into the life and operations of the fun center world. Through the worldwide use of PartyCenterSoftware.com in almost every size and type of FEC, Drummond collects and analyzes industry data to make his company and software stronger.

Lorie (back, left), Brian, Paul and Stephanie Kryk own Funtastic Play Centers. Lorie and Brian often bring their daughters, Breeya (front) and Mekayla, and Paul and Stephanie bring their son, Dominik. Paul and Brian are brothers. (Photo by E.L. Conley)

WOODHAVEN — Seven-year-old Mekayla Kryk and her sister Breeya, 5, have a fun-tastic time at their parents’ place of business.

Brian and Lorie Kryk, Flat Rock residents and certified elementary school teachers, own and operate Funtastic Play Centers, 20372 Van Horn Road.

The franchise opened two years ago and also is co-owned by Brian’s brother and his wife, Paul and Stephanie Kryk, also of Flat Rock.

“Funtastic specializes in providing a physically challenging form of exercise while allowing for social development,” Brian said. “Parents understand the importance of play in their child’s growth and development, both physically and socially. Play centers such as Funtastic help foster this opportunity to learn. I think that parents are looking for safe, clean places where this learning can occur.”

Brian said the idea of launching the indoor play area was prompted by extensive drives to places outside Downriver so that his daughters could play with their friends.

“My wife and I were driving 40 minutes one way to visit indoor play facilities with our friends and their children,” he said. “Since there wasn’t an indoor play facility such as Funtastic in the Downriver community, we explored the idea.”

On June 5, 2008, the brothers and their wives opened the 4,100-square-foot indoor play area that features open play, private birthday parties and a cafe with snacks and beverages.

The center caters to children up to 8 years old and offers summer hours from Memorial Day to Labor Day: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays.

Winter hours (Labor Day to Memorial Day) are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays.

Their busiest time of year is November through March, or anytime the weather is bad.

Funtastic features a modular play area with three slides, a rock wall, tunnels, monkey bars, a zip line and many other activities for children to enjoy.

“Our soft play (area) consists of a large, soft matted area with large shapes that the children can build with and maneuver,” Stephanie said. “We also offer a toddler pond that has a Velcro wall puzzle and noisemakers for the younger children.”

Prices differ if the child walks or crawls. There are group rates when there are 10 or more children who are preregistered. Adults are admitted free.

“We only allow (children) up to age 8 for open play,” Stephanie said. “If an older sibling comes along, we just ask that they only assist their younger sibling and do not play on their own for the safety of the younger children. During our private birthday parties, there is no age limit.”

Stephanie works at the center full time while Paul is employed by DTE Energy. They are the parents of a 1-year-old son, Dominik.

There are play rules at the center.

“Anyone going on the equipment must wear socks,” Paul said. “We do not permit bare feet or shoes on any of the play equipment. Each person must also sanitize their hands and be free of any illnesses.

“Each child must have a liability waiver on file signed by the person who is responsible for them while they are at Funtastic.”

He said parents must remain with their children while they are at the center and are encouraged to play on the equipment if they desire.

For those who’d rather watch, tables, chairs, two couches, a flat-screen TV and free Wi-Fi are available.

“Our admissions are good all day long,” Lorie said. “If you need to leave for naptime, lunch or just because, we do not charge for re-entry.

“Getting to know the local families and being able to bring my child to work with me has been a great opportunity. Our youngest daughter gets to spend a couple days a week at Funtastic, and enjoys playing with the other children that come and visit. We have also had parties for our girls, and for other family members at Funtastic.”

Funtastic offers three private party packages, depending on if the groups brings their own food and drink, or if they order pizza, drinks, cake, cupcakes, decorations, place settings, invitations and thank you cards.

This summer, all party packages are discounted in June, July and August.

“We keep our facility extremely clean, and take care in getting to know each of our customers, Brian added. “We are a friendly, but professional, team.”

The Woodhaven center is the only Funtastic franchise in Michigan, but franchises are available in other areas.

Anyone wanting more information can send an e-mail to brian@funtasticplaycenters.com.

Funtastic Play Centers-Woodhaven

Location: 20372 Van Horn, Woodhaven; 1-734-692-3967.

Owners: Flat Rock residents Brian and Lorie Kryk and Paul and Stephanie Kryk.

Started: June 5, 2008.

Services: Indoor play area for children up to age 8 featuring open play, private birthday parties and a cafe with snacks and beverages.

Summer hours (Memorial Day to Labor Day): 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays.

Cost: $8 for walkers; $4 for those who crawl.

Methods of payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard.

Web site: www.funtasticplaycenters.com

Boomtown Reno just switch over to PartyCenterSoftware.com for all their party management and online party booking needs. “We never got the chance to compete when they originally signed up with a competitor, but now that are leaving their contract early to switch to our more advanced and reliable platform”, said Scott Drummond, President of Agile Software and Marketing, (Makers of PartyCenterSoftware.com). Boomtown is one of the largest attractions in Reno with a family focus. It has great staff and their 3D ride is truly amazing!

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The Family Fun Center(sm) is an arcade featuring over 30,000 square feet bursting with exciting games for kids of all ages and a redemption center that offers a huge array of fun prizes.

There’s a 3D Motion Theater, Climbing Wall, Flight Simulator, Antique Carousel, Covered Wagon Ferris Wheel and the Rodeo Rider – plus over 200 video and redemption games, a separate party room and a snack bar. Now enjoy our new Bounce House! Fun Center Bounce House Waiver

Boomtown’s 3D Motion Theater is the first in the world to be all-digital. Hold on tight as you ride amid booming sound effects produced by Dolby Digital!