The Short Version
- Urban Air operates 212 locations nationwide, with another 178 franchised units in its development pipeline.
- The family entertainment brand continues to expand by backfilling second-generation retail space, typically between 25,000 and 60,000 square feet.
- New attractions, including the Indoor Slide Parks it introduced in 2024, encourage repeat visits and longer dwell times.
- Urban Air appeals to landlords thanks to cross-shopping opportunity.
Urban Air Is Adding Locations Through Franchising
Urban Air is establishing itself as a major player in the fast-growing indoor family entertainment sector. Though open to all ages, it primarily focuses on kids between the ages of 2 and 14. The brand has 212 locations and another 178 signed franchise commitments in its development pipeline, and it reports that in 2026, for the eighth time, it has ranked No. 1 among adventure parks on Entrepreneur’s annual Franchise 500 list.
Founded in 2011 as a trampoline park, Urban Air now offers more than 20 activities like dodgeball, indoor skydiving, ropes courses, climbing walls, electric go-karts, zip lines and slides. Ryan Slemons — chief development officer at Unleashed Brands, Urban Air’s franchisor — said offerings are tailored to each venue and market. Each location also features an Urban Café.
Urban Air curates a diverse mix of activities at each location to fit the local demographics. Photos courtesy of Urban Air
“The entertainment category is really on fire right now. People want easy, accessible ways to gather and have fun, and Urban Air delivers that experience,” said Brixmor senior national accounts representative Joanna Dubuc. Brixmor has Urban Air locations at five of its properties and is working with the brand on additional opportunities nationwide, including a recently signed lease at Washtenaw Fountain Plaza in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Keeping Experiences New To Drive Repeat Visits
Urban Air’s business model prioritizes evolving attractions. Adding new entertainment “is especially important in the attraction space where a customer may have seen the same attractions for seven or eight years,” Slemons said. Last year, the company introduced Indoor Slide Parks, which include patent-pending designs like the Surf, Scoop, Racer, Launch and Tube. The slides rolled out to existing locations in 2024 and 2025 and will appear in all new parks.
Urban Air periodically introduces new attractions to encourage return visits. Its Indoor Slide Parks debuted in 2024. Photo courtesy of Urban Air
“Most of the equipment and the attractions are patented specifically for Urban Air,” said franchisee Brandon Robinson, who previously co-owned 180 Planet Fitness locations and opened his first Urban Air in August 2024 in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He has the development rights for the brand in Brownsville and McAllen in Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; and St. Paul, Minnesota. “What I love about Urban Air is that you see moms and dads interacting with kids in the way they don’t usually do because we live in a technology-driven era,” he said. Parents compete with their kids, he explained, and everyone exercises and has fun.
Robinson also liked the numbers and people behind the franchise. Unleashed Brands also franchises several other kid-focused brands, such as Snapology, The Little Gym, XP League, Class 101, Premier Martial Arts and Sylvan Learning.
A National Expansion Strategy Takes Shape
Urban Air has a national footprint and is expanding heavily throughout the West, Northeast and Southeast. “We see a long runway for Urban Air throughout the U.S. and internationally as we move into Canada and other markets overseas,” said Slemons. The company opened 22 locations in the U.S. in 2025 and plans to open 25 in 2026. That growth includes Manoj Gandhi and Abhay Malpani, who opened their first Urban Air franchise in summer 2024 in Woodbridge, Virginia, and recently announced plans for additional locations in Sterling and Arlington in Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Chicago’s Lincoln Park.
The brand targets second-generation boxes between 25,000 and 60,000 square feet, pending the mix of attractions that best serves local demographics. Locations that include go-karts tend to require a bigger space.
Most of Urban Air’s adventure parks fill boxes vacated by retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond. One franchisee recently signed a deal to open Oregon’s first Urban Air in a former Dollar Tree in Salem. “We want to be in retail corridors where there’s high visibility, easy access, good parking and all the typical things that retailers are looking for,” said Slemons.
Urban Air values cross-shopping opportunities, including grocery stores. This location in Hamlin, Florida, sits next to a Publix-anchored center. Photo above and at top courtesy of Urban Air
Why Landlords Value Urban Air’s Role in the Tenant Mix
Slemons said landlords appreciate Urban Air’s ability to drive traffic, noting that the average dwell time for children is two to three hours. Some parents stay and play, and some shop or run errands nearby after dropping off older kids. “There’s a big synergy between our adventure parks and other retailers within the same center,” added Slemons. Urban Air thus likes locating next to tenants like Target, Walmart and grocery stores that generate frequent visits.
Dubuc agreed: “When families visit Urban Air, they tend to stay longer at our centers, which drives additional traffic to restaurants, grocery stores and other retailers, benefiting the entire tenant mix. We love when our centers provide opportunities for cross-shopping, and Urban Air fits seamlessly into that vision.”
By Beth Mattson-Teig
Contributor, Commerce + Communities Today