Everett Discovers Discovery Zone, Where Children Get Challenged

EVERETT

The children of Everett are breathing a little harder since the Discovery Zone opened its doors last month at the Everett Mall Village.

The Discovery Zone is an indoor fitness center providing exercise and recreation for children under 12. Capitalizing on the poor physical-fitness levels of U.S. children, two Kansas City-based entrepreneurs developed the franchise concept two years ago.

The centers are filled with equipment that, the owners say, teach and physically challenge children. Play areas include human-sized gerbil tunnels, slides, moonwalks, an obstacle course and other activities. The Discovery Zone also includes a snack bar, adult lounge with a television, and party rooms for celebrating special occasions.

The Everett Discovery Zone opened Dec. 21 and has been mobbed, Bob Bell says. Bell and his partner, Jim Calogridis, own the 8,900-square-foot Everett facility, which is the third Discovery Zone franchise in the Puget Sound area. The first opened in Lake Forest Park about one year ago, and a Bellevue Discovery Zone also opened, in December, Bell says. Neither Bell nor Calogridis have a financial interest in the other two locations, Bell says.

Bell, who plans to open other Discovery Zones but wouldn't say where, learned about the franchises by visiting the Lake Forest Park facility with his two young children. Both Bell and Calogridis were working in the mortgage-banking industry before opening the

Discovery Zone, Bell says.

The Discovery Zone has sold 120 franchises since it began selling them in August 1990. The franchise opportunities appeal to business executives looking for a change, the company said.

Franchises cost about $400,000 to build. The company requires franchisees to have about $150,000 in capital and have the ability to borrow another $250,000. The franchise fee is $35,000. Bell says the corporation's estimates of construction costs is low. The Everett facility cost $550,000 and took nine months to build, he says.

However, Bell says the company's estimate of about 100,000 visits a year is conservative. He estimates the Everett store will attract between 125,000 and 150,000 visits annually.

The company was founded by Al Fong, an internationally known gymnastics coach, and Ron Matsch, a recreational-design and facility management expert. It targets baby-boomers' children, 37 million of whom are under 12. By 2000, 46 million children under 12 will live in the United States, according to the company.

All those children and the fast growth of the Discovery Zone is attracting competitors. McDonald's Corp., for example, is test-marketing a concept called Leaps and Bounds, which Bell says is a copy of the Discovery Zone.

The Everett Discovery Zone is open Mondays, from noon to 9 p.m.; Tuesday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. During peak times, the club costs $5.25 for the first hour and $1.99 each additional hour.