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Husband-and-wife business partners Mark and Christine Emma on a deck overlooking the fun Launch Space, the family-friendly entertainment center they opened at Whitney Field shopping center in Leominster last month. (Danielle Ray/Sentinel & Enterprise)
LEOMINSTER — People lined up when Launch first opened Wednesday morning, a testament to the popularity of the family-friendly entertainment center that opened last month.
To say that the sixth Launch franchise, owned and operated by husband-and-wife business partners Mark and Christine Emma, has been welcomed with open arms by the larger community would be an understatement – especially since local family entertainment options have grown since Roll on America and Since Mason Bowling permanently closed its doors in recent years, its numbers have dwindled.
“We do this for the community,” Mark said. “We wanted to bring something back to the area, help the community and be part of it.”
He said that while they had “been slammed the first two weekends”, in general they were open and the response from everyone who visited had been “very positive” so far.
Launch is located on the site of the former Toys ‘R’ Us store at The Mall at Whitney Field, which was most recently home to Gardner Furniture, which moved to Macy’s ) where it used to be. Mark said their goal from the beginning was to provide a fun, safe place for families, teens, children and people of all ages.
There are a variety of elements to choose from when building your Launch experience, including bowling, ninja lessons, a playground, a trampoline park that, according to Mark, is “always full of people,” virtual reality games, laser tag, dodgeball, a fully equipped Bars and restaurants and XP Arena, patrons use barriers to tag different lights with RFID wristbands.
“I love seeing the kids enjoying everything,” Mark shared what he likes most about their business ventures and observing visitors, adding that the popularity of bowling “surprises me a bit”.
“It’s a nice place to have it all come together.”
His wife of 24 years echoed his sentiments, saying “the best part is the excitement of the people.”
“Everyone is so grateful,” Kristen said. “It’s been a huge success and we’re giving back in the way we want. Even the parents are excited, it’s so rewarding to be able to offer this.”
They knocked down a wall on the second floor, 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 sections of varying sizes via partitions, and there is also an ADA accessible section on the ground floor.
These areas can also be used for corporate events, and Kristen says her favorite spot is that “you can see the whole park through the big windows on the second floor,” overlooking the entire space below.
The couple bought their first home in Leominster when they got married before moving to Lunenburg 17 years ago. Not surprisingly, one of the biggest Launch fans is their son Sam, who just turned 13 and was “one of the main drivers” of the center’s opening.
“He loved it,” they said.
At first, the fledgling teenager was reluctant to tell others about his family business, but quickly made a U-turn and liked to bring friends, says Christine.
“He feels like a celebrity,” his mom laughs, adding that when Sam sees kids at the center needing help or something, he doesn’t hesitate to step in.
Mark said they had a few community events and had more planned. The most recent celebration was for Sam’s basketball team winning a championship. Mark said they opened Launch on their day off and the kids had a great time.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Friday morning to officially welcome Launch to Leominster. Mark said they “worked closely with the city and mall owners” to get Launch open and they were “very excited” to have them there.
He went on to say that since opening last month, they have had a “continuous stream” of customers, and with the past week being the April school holidays, they have decided to open on Mondays and Tuesdays, which are not normally open.
While there were some “operational challenges”, including a “surge in attendance”, Mark said they were “working things out”.
“We’re working on it,” he said.
They are all grateful for the dedicated team members who help make Launch a success. Initially over 300 people applied for jobs at Launch, and as of press time, they have dozens of part-time employees and plan to add more from the pool of applicants.
The self-proclaimed “cleaning freak” said they “have a fantastic cleaning crew” who work hard to keep the whole place, including the bathroom, “spotless”. She showed staff a “beautiful lounge” and said team members ranged in age from teens to seniors.
“We want people to enjoy working here.”
The couple have other jobs besides Launch, and while they “try not to be here all the time,” they really enjoy being hands-on.
“Time flies when you’re here,” Kristen said, adding that she loved seeing “all the smiles and all the joy.”
Customers have come to Launch “from all different directions” in central Massachusetts and across the state, including other areas such as Worcester and New Hampshire, they said. Leominster resident Chris Premo took his 10-year-old daughter Meora Premo to Launch on Wednesday, their second visit to Launch, and watched her enjoy a virtual reality session.
“It’s fun and I don’t have to drive very far,” Chris says of the ideal location.
Mark says that’s exactly why they wanted to open Launch – to provide a local place where families could spend time together in a fun environment.
“It’s key, safe family fun,” he shared. “People thanked us and wanted to shake our hands.”
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