Couple Catches Flight as Successful Altitude Trampoline Park Multi-Unit Franchisees

Brandon and Kenda Gadish are high-performing, multi-unit franchisees with Altitude Trampoline Park, the premier active entertainment franchise that features trampolines, games, and programs for all ages. 

They now own three of the brand’s parks and have developed a reputation for creative and innovative ideas that have impacted other franchisees across the brand. They were even recognized earlier this year with the International Franchise Association’s coveted Franchisee of the Year award.

The couple says they plan to continue growing with the brand, searching for the right opportunities while being strategic about their development.

We asked Brandon and Kenda about life in the franchising world of Altitude Trampoline Park:

What led you to becoming Altitude Trampoline Park franchisees?

Kenda: Brandon and I have always been entrepreneurs. We wanted to be able to choose our own destiny. Our entrepreneurial mindsets led us to the real estate industry for a while, which allowed us to work flexible hours and spend time with our kids. At one time, we also owned our own online automated rent payment collection service business, and that gave us a window into the world of business ownership. 

After the online service business, we knew we wanted our next endeavor to be a brick and mortar concept and definitely something that Amazon wouldn’t be able to scoop up down the line. Family entertainment stood out to us right away because our kids would be excited and interested in being a part of the business. We shopped around and decided to go with Altitude and we’ve never looked back.

What was the onboarding process like?

Brandon: There is a lot that goes into opening up a trampoline park like Altitude, but the team was there to support us throughout the whole process. They provided us with a brand standard spec book, set up weekly meetings, and identified and managed the construction timeline. The team also connected us with preferred vendors for all of the critical business relationships that were required to be established including equipment vendors, food and beverage vendors, payroll and marketing agency partners, and more.

It was a pretty solid support program then, but, today, the Altitude leadership team is continuing to build upon it by hiring experienced people like their new director of construction. They are dedicated to making sure that everything goes smoothly from signing to opening.

What has the brand support been like since opening?

Kenda: They have really been focused on building out a tenured support team that can provide insight and guidance on our operations, construction, technology, and marketing. We know that the brand is heading in the right direction. 

What’s been especially great to see is the increased communication between the leadership team and the brand’s franchise system at Altitude. With the development of a Franchise Advisory Board, we’re able to share our learnings and get more involved in the decision-making process through new committees. I know that we’ve also appreciated the fact that the team is always here to listen to us and take our input into account.

Has being a franchisee met your expectations? 

Kenda: We wouldn’t continue to grow with the brand if the experience hadn’t lived up to our expectations. The team is always available to take our phone calls or answer our messages and they don’t push anyone off or think that any question is a bad question. There’s an understanding that we can help each other out and I think that’s a great foundation for open and honest communication, whether it’s about something that’s going great or something that isn’t performing in the way we’d expected.

Brandon: Being a franchise owner has been completely life-changing for us. We never would have been able to be as successful, make as many connections in the community, or have been able to have access to financial backing and business mentors in the same way if we had gone into business without this support behind us. There’s truly something to be said for building a business for yourself, but not by yourself.

What’s been the greatest part about being a franchisee?

Brandon: For me, the greatest part about being a franchise owner with Altitude has been being able to involve our kids at high level and help provide them opportunities to provide a good foundation for moving into other facets of the business. It’s been incredibly rewarding to watch our kids grow through Altitude and we could’ve never done it without being part of the brand. Our daughter, Kenadee, helped grow our business from day one, and it’s kind of amazing to think that we wouldn’t be where we are without her. Our whole family has been a huge part of our success and will continue to be as we move forward.

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