Amy Phillips is 43 but considers herself a child at heart.
So it’s fitting that her new job is running a company that appeals to kids – and kids at heart.
Phillips recently became president of Altitude Trampoline Parks, an Atlanta-based competitor to the likes of locally-grown Urban Air Adventure Parks. Her promotion comes after a 20-year career in family entertainment.
“It just felt like a natural transition and continuation of my career to be in an environment where my daughter can also have a good time,” said Phillips, referring to her 13-year-old daughter, Kennedy.
Phillips’ background boasts leadership positions at a number of North Texas-based family entertainment companies, including Main Event, Dave & Buster’s and Drive Shack. Having only worked for male bosses, she credits her perspective as a woman and mother for her career progression.
“I think they’ve enjoyed working with me because I may give them, maybe, a different perspective, from a female and from a mother’s perspective,” Phillips said. “I’ve had probably the best male mentors in family entertainment, which is pretty surprising for most to hear.”
Phillips, who commutes from her home in Richardson to Altitude’s Atlanta headquarters, joined the company as its chief marketing officer only six months before her promotion to president. She already has plans for growth – both in new locations and in new ways to build on the food, attractions and safety inside.
“I think we have a sweet spot being in that 3 to 10 [age range], where parents feel like it’s a safe space, and they can, based on the layout, see their child no matter where they’re sitting in the building,” Phillips said.
One of her first tasks is to work with CEO Mike Rotondo to co-lead a franchise expansion initiative aimed at having 100 parks open by the end of the year. Rotondo previously led Edible Arrangements, which built a network of 1,100 locations.
The push to incentivize new and existing franchise owners resulted from Altitude’s purchase in December 2018 by NRD Capital, an Atlanta private equity group. NRD’s other portfolio companies include Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, Frisch’s Big Boy and several technology firms.
“I’m really excited about the team and the things that I think the brand held off on during the pandemic, which also happened to be the time that they purchased the company,” Phillips said. “It gave us time to really do some solid work, and now we’re just firing it off.”
Altitude parks are 100% franchisee-owned, and the investment required can range from $1.8 million to $3 million depending on location and build-out. Franchisees pay between $30,000 and $60,000 in initial fees.
The average annual sales per store is $743,427, according to the company’s website. And half of its franchise owners report average revenue of $2.2 million.
Phillips is determined to drive up those numbers for those willing to bet on the Altitude brand.
“When you’re working on the franchise side of things, you’re working with a number of entrepreneurs that this could make or break their lives,” she said.
There are 86 Altitude Trampoline Parks now, with six in Dallas-Fort Worth and nine more in development nationwide. The company is eying the Northeast for expansion.
“We have parks in the Northeast, they’re doing phenomenal, because of the cold weather,” she said. “If you’re in Texas, there’s plenty of competition just going outside.”
Phillips also will retain her marketing duties, where she wants to expand the in-park experience to withstand industry competition. She secured a partnership with the American Heart Association that will add information about heart-healthy activities inside Altitude parks.
She’s also focused on improving food and drink menu items, boosting a membership program, and expanding the features and attractions that keep guests coming back.
“We’re evolving into technology, so we’re adding more augmented reality into our parks. We’re putting different types of tech on the actual trampoline where you’re able to actually play a game of Tic Tac Toe while you’re bouncing,” she said.
