A franchise is not only measured by its sales numbers. It’s also about the brand’s growth, its years of success and the family it’s created along the way. This year, Urban Air Adventure Park is excited to celebrate 10 years in business with our corporate team, franchise owners and operational staff!
Over the past decade, Urban Air has experienced many positive changes and has grown leaps and bounds. Our team’s hard work has helped us proudly claim the #1 spot in family entertainment franchising and become the nation’s largest indoor amusement park brand.
Let’s take a look at where we started and just how far we’ve come.
From an entrepreneurial start…
Urban Air Founder and CEO Michael Browning has always been excited by innovation and entrepreneurship. From building virtual amusement parks as a child to selling his first startup in college, Browning has honed his fun-loving approach to business, thriving on what’s new and exciting.
This entrepreneurship culminated in Browning launching four locations of Urban Air Trampoline Parks in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area 10 years ago. It was originally a family-run business, with Browning’s parents and wife helping to run the parks themselves.
As Browning learned more about the market and the families his trampoline parks served, he realized that a single-attraction model wasn’t the best way to grow. In 2011, the company was rebranded to Urban Air Adventure Parks.
Browning designed the new business model to offer a full range of experiences—not just one attraction. This led to the innovative and diverse attractions found in today’s Urban Air Adventure Parks, from rock climbing to bumper cars to indoor skydiving. We spend over $1 million every single year to test and create new products and attractions, forever staying on the cutting edge.
…To the #1 family entertainment franchise
Under Browning’s vision and leadership, Urban Air Adventure Parks flourished! Franchise owners began launching new businesses across the nation, incorporating new and exciting attractions for guests to explore.
Today, we have over 250 parks open or under development—and that number continues to grow. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Urban Air has continually added new franchisees to our family. Our parks have opened with enhanced cleaning and safety measures, ensuring every family feels secure playing and growing with us.
As we open more parks and unveil new attractions, we expect to serve over 20 million kids in 2021—and even more next year!
Earlier this year, we got some even more exciting news! Urban Air was named the #1 Entertainment Franchise in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500®, the world’s first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking, for the third year in a row. This year-after-year ranking proves our commitment to innovation and fun—not to the mention the stability and growth franchisees get when they join our team! We were also ranked the #2 “Smartest-Growing Brand” in America by Franchise Times.
Growing a team of family-focused brands
Our plans for growth are never ending, either. This year, Browning expanded Urban Air’s footprint in the family entertainment and education spaces with the launch of Unleashed Brands. This new global, growth-focused platform combines powerhouse brands committed to helping children learn, play and grow.
Snapology, a brand offering S.T.E.A.M. programs, and The Little Gym, a child-oriented fitness gym brand, have joined Urban Air under the Unleashed Brands umbrella.
By combining the experiences, programs, classes and parties from each brand, Unleashed Brands franchisees have even more opportunities for revenue and growth. Plus, we’re able to offer families with children even more excitement and fun!
What’s next for Urban Air?
Leveraging Browning’s focus on innovation, education and fun, Urban Air is ready to take the family entertainment sector by storm. We can’t wait to continue innovating and offering new family-friendly experiences to communities across America. Our team is excited for what comes next for Urban Air Adventure Park—and we want you along for the ride!
Does our 10-year legacy of community engagement and family entertainment speak to your values and goals? Owning an Urban Air Adventure Park might be the perfect fit for you! Contact us to learn more about our investment opportunity and prepare to join our family.
