Lodge Operator Enters Childcare Area With Lightbridge Academy Deal | Franchise Information

In enterprise, longtime lodge operator Amit Varma has at all times been pushed to serve.

Since he started working within the lodge business 25 years in the past, Varma has made it his mission to offer high quality service to his prospects at manufacturers together with IHG, Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt. He plans to proceed to take action along with his newest enterprise within the childcare phase as a Lightbridge Academy franchisee.

The inspiration for coming into a brand new area, Varma stated, was searching for a childcare middle that gives schooling for his personal children.

“I’ve a 5-year-old and a 14-year-old and we needed early childhood schooling,” Varma stated. “I used to take my children to childcare facilities and I spotted that that is nice for a enterprise.”

Throughout Thanksgiving final yr, Varma mentioned the concept along with his enterprise companions, Bud Patel and Chinmay Patel, and Bud Patel stated he was already aware of Lightbridge Academy. The trio began the method to grow to be franchisees, forming Cab Childcare Group and signing an settlement to open seven items in Orlando.

The deal is the most important franchise settlement for Lightbridge because it started franchising in 2011 and the primary for the Orlando market. The model began in 1997 in New Jersey as Rainbow Academy earlier than rebranding.

“We’re in regards to the sixth largest childcare supplier within the nation,” stated Gigi Schweikert, Lightbridge CEO. “Two years in the past, we began working with a personal fairness agency, Westerly & Elmsley, so we now have the capital to essentially do the expansion that we’ve been eager to do over all of the years of operations.”

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Lightbridge has 71 facilities open and greater than 70  in growth. Lots of the new places are going into markets the place Lightbridge doesn’t have a presence but.

“After we have been underneath the previous board, there was a thought course of of creating positive our development was centric geographically to the place we have been, which meant filling in up and down the East Coast,” Schweikert stated. “Now, as a result of there’s such a requirement for early childhood schooling, we need to be certain that we’re offering that within the locations that basically want it.”

The outcome has been growth into new markets resembling Orlando, in addition to a push west into states resembling Ohio, Texas and Colorado. Schweikert stated a driver of the demand has been the next emphasis on schooling for younger youngsters.

“The demand has at all times been there,” Schweikert stated. “However we’ve seen extra girls working than ever earlier than, and that care for a kid would have previously been supplied for a grandparent, a good friend, or one thing of that nature. As we begin to perceive early childhood schooling, although, by way of many various research, we’re recognizing that the kid’s mind from 0 to five years of age is probably the most unimaginable time for setting that systematic pathway of studying.”

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Schweikert added that there’s an particularly excessive want within the Sunshine State.

“Florida is terrific for us,” Schweikert stated. “It’s a spot that’s one of many high 10 areas that basically has the best demand for accessible, high quality childhood schooling.”

“This complete space has folks transferring right here,” Varma stated. “There’s an enormous inflow of households and in our personal expertise, we noticed there aren’t sufficient childcare suppliers right here.

In assembly that demand, Varma stated he plans to proceed his concentrate on service.

“Childcare is so necessary and it’s the identical with accommodations,” Varma stated. “You’re serving. You’re caring for households. As mothers and dads are busy working, we need to give them peace of thoughts so that they know their children are secure and getting an schooling.”

Varma stated he and his enterprise companions plan to satisfy with Lightbridge this week so as to add a couple of extra items to their settlement, too. As soon as that’s achieved, their first unit is predicted to open in three to 4 months.

The common dimension of a Lightbridge Academy is between 10,500 and 14,000 sq. toes, whereas some have gone as much as 20,000. Every academy has a capability of round 180 college students, and the preliminary funding vary is between $612,233 and $2.6 million.

In the course of the faculty yr, a Lightbridge Academy accepts youngsters from 6 weeks previous by way of 6 years previous. In the course of the summer time months, camps are additionally made out there for kids as much as 10 or 12 years previous.