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Husband and wife business partners Mark and Christine Emma on a landing overlooking the fun Launch space, a family friendly entertainment center at The Mall at Whitney Field in Leominster that they opened last month. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)
LEOMINSTER – Lines of people lined up at Launch’s first opening for the day Wednesday morning, a testament to the popularity of the family friendly entertainment center that opened its doors last month.
To say that the sixth launch franchise in the state owned and operated by husband-and-wife business partners Mark and Christine Emma has been welcomed with open arms by the greater community is an understatement. understatement — especially when local options for family fun have dwindled since Roll on America and Mason Bowling closed their doors for good in recent years.
“We do it for the community,” Mark stated. “We want to give something back to the area and help the community and be a part of it.”
He said that while they were “slapped the first two weekends” they were open, he noted that overall, the response from everyone who has visited so far has been “very positive.”
The launch is located in the former location of the longtime Toys ‘R’ Us store at The Mall at Whitney Field, which most recently was home to Gardner Furniture, which moved into what used to be Macy’s. Mark said their goal from the beginning was to provide a fun, safe place for families, tweens and teens, and children and people of all ages to have fun.
There are many elements to choose from to create your Launch experience including bowling, a ninja course, the arcade, a trampoline park, which Mark says is “always full,” virtual reality games, tags laser, dodgeball, a full bar and restaurant. , and the XP Arena, where patrons use barriers to tag various lights with an RFID wristband.
“I love seeing the kids having fun,” Mark shares about what he likes most about their business and seeing the people who visit, adding that the popularity of bowling “surprises me .”
“It all comes together and it’s a great place.”
His wife of 24 years expressed his feelings, saying that “the best part is the excitement from people.”
“Everyone is so grateful,” Christine said. “It was a great success and we returned the way we wanted. Even the parents are excited, it’s very rewarding to be able to deliver that.
They tore down a wall on the second floor and added large windows to create a party room and recently added birthday parties to their menu. The large upstairs space can be rented as a whole or in different size sections through dividers and there is also an Americans with Disabilities Act accessible area on the first floor.
Those areas are also available for corporate events and Christine said her favorite spot in the area is “where you can see the whole park” through the large windows on the second floor that overlook the entire space. below.
The couple bought their first home in Leominster when they were married and then moved to Lunenburg 17 years ago. It’s no surprise that one of the biggest Launch fans is their son Sam, who is just 13 years old and “one of the main drivers” of opening the center.
“He loves it,” they said.
Christine said at first, the newly minted teenager was hesitant to tell people about her family business but quickly did a 180 and enjoyed bringing friends.
“He feels like a celebrity,” his mom said with a smile, adding that if Sam sees kids at the center who need help or something he doesn’t hesitate to step in.
Mark said they have hosted some community events and plan to do more. A recent celebration for Sam’s basketball team when they won the championship. Mark said they opened Launch on a day off and the kids had a blast.
A ribbon cutting was held on Friday morning to officially welcome the Launch to Leominster. Mark said they “worked very closely with the city and the mall owner” to open Launch and that they are “very happy” to be there.
He went on to say that they have had a “steady flow” of customers since opening last month and this past April school break, they decided to open on Mondays and Tuesdays, days that they are usually closed.
While there have been some “operational challenges” including “rush to attendance,” Mark says they’ve “worked out the kinks.”
“We put our legs under,” he said.
They both give a lot of credit to their dedicated team members who help keep the run running successfully. More than 300 people have initially applied for the Launch jobs and at the time of publication they have several part-time staff with plans to add more from the pool of applicants.
Christine, a self-proclaimed “clean freak,” said they “have an amazing cleaning crew” who work hard to keep the entire place, including the bathrooms, “spotless. ” He showed the “nice break room” for the staff and said the age of the team members ranged from teenagers to the elderly.
“We want people to enjoy working here.”
The couple both have other jobs on top of the Launch and while they “try not to be here all the time,” they really enjoy the hands on.
“Time flies when you’re here,” Christine said, adding that she was happy to see “all the smiles and all the happiness.”
They say customers come to Launch “from all different directions” in Central Mass. and across the state, including Worcester and as far afield as New Hampshire and beyond. Leominster resident Chris Premo took his 10-year-old daughter Meora Premo to the Launch Wednesday, their second time there, and watched her enjoy a virtual reality session.
“It’s fun and I don’t have to drive far,” Chris said of the great location.
Mark said this is exactly why they wanted to open Launch — to provide a local place where families can enjoy time together in a fun environment.
“It was the key, safe family fun,” he shared. “People thank us and want to shake our hands.”