Sky Zone’s customers can run wild through obstacle courses, bounce on trampolines and test their skills in foam sparing matches.
Like many other indoor entertainment brands, Sky Zone lost units and sales due to the pandemic. Once states lifted restrictions and people were desperate to get out, Sky Zone saw a bump in sales and new CEO Shawn Hassel is working to keep that momentum going.
Trampoline park franchise Sky Zone promoted business veteran Hassel to CEO, a position he officially stepped into in September after being brought on as chief financial officer. He’s utilizing his business expertise through Arete Capital Partners to continue to grow the brand.
“I’ve been in everything from home building to semiconductors to services, a bunch of different things and I’ve gotten a ton of different experience,” said Hassel. “Both from a governance perspective and operational perspective, I’ve done it.”
Shawn Hassel, CEO of Sky Zone.
As the brand approaches 300 locations, it’s adjusted to a challenging real estate market. Sky Zone works with real estate brokers to find the best spots as quickly as possible. Hassel and the team are looking at property left behind by big box retail companies.
“Retail continues to struggle, especially some of the big box retail,” said Hassel. “We have been working on how we approach landlords to see how they feel about having something like a Sky Zone.”
Opening a Sky Zone location requires an investment of $1.6- to $4 million.
Related: Trampoline Park Franchises Continue to Bounce Back
Hassel started his career in investments and joined the franchise industry through the partnerships he made with various brands. Sky Zone is the first brand he’s worked with in the indoor entertainment segment.
To best use his experience, Hassel is approaching Sky Zone the same way he has with any other business.
“Sky Zone is just a wonderful company and has amazing opportunity for expansion and growth ahead of it,” said Hassel. “You have to come in and learn the business really quickly.”
One of the ways he’s adjusting is what he called “widgetizing” the brand, meaning the operations are simple and repeatable. Knowing how to break a business down is key to ensuring this process is successful, he said. The team worked with him to help make this happen, which is part of the reason he ended up staying with the brand.
Hassel is part of the strategizing effort for Sky Zone’s growth, with three corporate and seven franchised locations opened in 2023 and plans to double the number of openings this year. Those confirmed buildouts are expected to take nine to 12 months, he said.
Hassel helped in building white space analytics in house to meet the demand as well. “We are in a high growth period for Sky Zone,” said Hassel. “We’re approaching our 20th anniversary and it really symbolizes the growth and enduring success of the business.”
Like many other indoor entertainment brands, Sky Zone saw a boost in sales after pandemic restrictions lifted and is taking advantage of that interest.