In this exclusive Q&A, we learn more about the Urban Air Adventure Park franchise opportunity from its brand president and CEO, Jay Thomas.

Franchise Chatter (FC): Can you walk us through your background in the amusement park industry and franchising? What led you to Six Flags in the first place? What was that journey with them like and how did that lead you to Urban Air?

Jay Thomas (JT): I entered the entertainment industry in June of 1988. I was studying at Texas Tech University, and I began contemplating what I would do over the summer months ahead. The most inspirational influence in my life, my Mom, encouraged me to do something fun for the summer as graduation was around the corner and a working career to follow. So, I joined the Six Flags Team and fell in love with the concept of helping others experience joy and happiness. In just a few short months, I knew this was the industry for me.

I remember greeting Six Flags guests by saying, “Hello, my name is Jay, and I will be the Park President one day.” I am blessed to have discovered this type of career love so early in life. I did make my way to Park President of Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom and Six Flags Magic Mountain. For the last six years, with my 30-years with Six Flags, I was the Vice President of International Park Development before retiring. So, not only have I learned how to run Parks domestically, I helped orchestrate the development of how to run Parks internationally.

I met Michael Browning, Jr., founder of Urban Air Adventure Park, at a neighborhood BBQ. When we met and found out we were both in the same industry, a kindred relationship started at that moment. I came to work for Michael on my 30th-anniversary date of starting with Six Flags in 1988, and we have been having fun together ever since. In July 2021, after Michael had launched an all-new first-of-its-kind platform business for kids, Unleashed Brands, he asked me to be the Brand President and CEO of Urban Air Adventure Park. This promotion was a huge honor to me, as this man, who has poured his soul into developing this amazing Brand, the Godfather of the Adventure Park franchise concept, asked me to fill his enormous shoes.

FC: When you joined Urban Air, what were some of the first things you did to evolve the business concept? What are some of your proudest achievements and contributions to Urban Air? 

JT: Since joining the company in 2018, I’ve helped evolve the business concept from a kids trampoline park to a full-fledged, ride-oriented indoor amusement park with unique attractions and a “guest first” experience.

I leveraged the Six Flags model and my past knowledge to innovate on the park’s attractions and help separate Urban Air from the stiff competition. Among the things I’ve done is overhaul the way Urban Air parks run and revamp the day-to-day operations model. I pushed for modern safety tools and guest friendly regulations, and led the membership program launch. We’ve grown from 47 parks to 153 parks nationwide today.

FC: What would you say makes Urban Air unique that separates it from its competitors? 

JT: Innovation is the heartbeat of Urban Air and what makes us different and is the key ingredient to keeping our guests excited to come back to our parks multiple times throughout the year. We offer one-of-a-kind attractions that can only be found in our parks and are continuously working to enhance our attractions, making our consumer’s experiences in our Parks repeatable, driving incremental revenue and ultimately franchisee happiness.

Urban Air is the only entertainment franchise with gamified experience, which drives repeatability and fresh moments for returning park goers. Urban Air is also the only entertainment franchise with a custom app – creating shareability experience for guests. Most importantly, Urban Air helps kids move off devices and towards active play.

Another exciting innovation to Urban Air that will separate ourselves even further is the implementation of a best-in-class STEAM program from our sister brand Snapology into Urban Air Parks. This model adds a new level to the guest experience and offerings that brings our vision to life.

Today’s millennial Moms are giving up product related purchases for experience-based activities which help their children expand their emotional, educational, and physical skillsets. Snapology Discovery Centers offer classes and camps focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Kids can erect structures, program a computer, build robots, and so much more. Having best-in-class brands like Snapology in our parks will just strengthen the Urban Air brand.

FC: Urban Air saw some impressive growth and broken records in 2021, and 2022 is looking just as promising. What can you share about the state of the company, the reasons behind its growth, and what’s next for Urban Air?

JT: We have aggressive post-pandemic same-store-sales goals for our Parks. We mapped out a strategy and shared it with our franchisees as to how we would deliver on these goals in each of our crucial yield management categories: tickets, memberships, private events, birthday parties, café, and merchandise. We have a strategic planning model which helps keep us focused on what drives success in Urban Air. There are five key pillars built on a foundation of Safety and Quality:

• Guest Experience,
• Innovation,
• Operational Efficiency,
• Franchisee Financial Excellence, and
• Building a High-Performance Team Culture.

I am confident the success we are seeing today and will continue to enjoy through the remainder of the year can be directly tied to our focus on what is important.

FC: What are your thoughts on the labor shortage and how to solve it? What do you do specifically at Urban Air to attract and retain employees?

JT: New methods of communication and adapting to what works with the younger generation I think could be a solution to the labor shortage. It all starts with the environment you establish, and a traditional work environment that was the norm for decades isn’t what works with today’s youth.

I like to give teenage employees the freedom to do things the way they know will work, such as leveraging social media to create word of mouth and increase interactivity. Several Urban Air TikTok accounts, which are fully run by our teenage staff, have over 50,000 followers and average roughly 10k views per video. Our Urban Air location in Avenel, New Jersey, is a prime example of how TikTok is a vital part of better staff participation and positive morale in the workplace.

If you can provide an environment that encourages both short-term and long-term development, accepts them for who they are and caters to their unique skill sets, then you’ve created a working environment that teenage employees will find welcoming and rewarding.

FC: How do you think the pandemic has impacted Urban Air and the amusement park industry? How did Urban Air adapt to those challenges?

JT: Before closures were mandates, Urban Air was already working with franchisees on numerous fronts. We offered various methods of rent assistance, including deferment, reduced, abated, negotiated rent options. We obtained both SBA Loans (principal and interest waived or deferred) and PPP Loans for franchisees to utilize. Our re-opening program/process completely revamped how our parks operated, ensuring proper social distancing procedures were implemented, complete with updated signage, new mandatory training programs for both employees and franchisees, routine temperature checks, and employee mask requirements.

We also created a new, social distancing-oriented reservation system and significantly enhanced our day-to-day cleaning protocols and labor management. In addition to our cashless ordering at Urban Café and touchless Check In for guests and employees, we ran local marketing programs to support park reopenings and requirements. We’re more than proud of how we navigated the pandemic and safely reopened.

FC: What qualities do you look for in Urban Air franchisees and what perks can you offer them that other franchising opportunities cannot?

JT: We look for franchises who love kids and have a heart for good hospitality. They must be a strong organizational leader, manager and mentor. We like people who are systems-oriented and are a naturally collaborative team player. Most of all, we demand franchisees that are sales-driven and GRITTY!

Urban Air Adventure Park utilizes an 8-Step Discovery Process with all franchise candidates. The Process is designed to give both the candidate and us ample opportunity to determine if the Urban Air model is the right fit for both parties.

From understanding the candidate’s goals and objectives to reviewing available markets and our Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) to everything in-between, we commit to pursuing the Discovery Process with each individual with care and consideration.

We provide franchisees a robust support system that ensures a smooth and effective experience from beginning to end, starting with a deep site selection process and hands-on project management support, followed by franchise training, staffing and the implementation of park standards such as safety protocols, membership programs, and ZenDesk software for day-to-day operations.

We also have a marketing support team that works closely with franchisees to help establish effective brand awareness in their market. We do this with a “Start with the End in Mind” approach, which creates excitement for the attractions and innovative experiences coming soon to their community. We also hold an annual convention and virtual meetings that help establish and maintain our strong network of franchisees.

FC: What is the typical investment for franchisees looking to open an Urban Air park?

JT: Typically their minimum liquidity should be $600k with average net worth starting around $1.5 million.  The initial franchise fee is $100,000 and the average investment is between $2.9 million and $4.6 million.

FC: Where can our readers learn more about franchising opportunities with Urban Air? 

JT: They can go to https://urbanairfranchise.com/.