Funtastic Play Centers Grow Up

Funtastic, which started locally last year, has six new centers in the works

When Jim and Suzanne Kerr opened their Funtastic Play Center in El Dorado Hills last year, parents were so impressed with the children's activities center they assumed it was part of a chain.

"Everybody was asking, 'Where did you buy the franchise?' " Jim Kerr recalled.

A year later, on the first day the Kerrs had state approval to franchise, they sold three. In the first two months of franchising, the Kerrs have sold six franchises. A seventh is pending. Locally, sites are planned for Elk Grove, Natomas and Roseville.

Elk Grove is set to open in January. February should see centers in Natomas, Roseville and Hayward. Santa Clarita and Palmdale are scheduled to open in March.

The Kerrs have a letter of intent for Asheville, N.C. They're also selling their El Dorado Hills center to a franchisee. The first half of next year, the couple will focus on developing California. Then they'll pursue Portland, Ore., Seattle and Phoenix.

Opening the Elk Grove Funtastic are Stacie Morgenstern of Elk Grove, mother of three kids, and her sister, Kirstin Toms of Lincoln, a mother of two youngsters.

Jim Kerr, co-founder of Funtastic Play Centers: “We’ve had 4,000 kids through our doors.”

KidsPark, a rival company, plans centers in Folsom, Natomas, Elk Grove, El Dorado Hills

A Bay Area franchised chain of hourly, drop-in child-care centers is adding three more local sites by next summer as part of a multi-state expansion.

KidsPark Inc., which entered this market a year ago with a center in Rocklin, expects to open in Folsom next month, Natomas in January and Elk Grove this summer. El Dorado Hills is scheduled for 2008.

Sacramento Business Journal
by Kelly Johnson
Staff Writer

Great concept for Funtastic, and a cafe makes the experience good for parents too. There is a lot of competition and some well know failures so this will be interesting to watch as the market matures.