Local Family Gets a Jump on Success with Inflatable Playground Venture

Parents of five children, Jim and Jennifer Kvidera of Yorkville have attended numerous kids’ birthday parties over the years. But after attending one party held at an inflatable family fun center several years ago, the Kvideras were intrigued.

“I walked in and thought, ‘This is genius,’” Jennifer Kvidera said.

The couple talked about opening their own center. But it wasn’t until Jim Kvidera, an electrician, found himself out of work about two years ago and his wife had to reenter the work force, that they began to seriously consider the venture.

“It was something we’ve always joked about,” Jennifer Kvidera said. “We said, ‘When we do open our own business, this is what we’re going to do.’”

In July, their dream became realized when they opened Hoppers Inflatable Family Fun Center at 181 Commercial Drive in Yorkville. While the economy’s downturn has had a negative impact on some local families, it has proven the opposite for the Kvideras.

“If the economy hadn’t take the dive that it did, I don’t know that we would have done this at this particular point in time,” Jennifer Kvidera said. “It’s been really good for us.”

And even as families are cutting back financially, “people are still spending money on their kids,” Jennifer Kvidera said.

“We like to think we’re an affordable night out,” she said. “A family of four can come and play for a couple of hours on a Friday night for less than $20. It’s cheaper than going to the movies.”

Hoppers also runs specials and offers coupons to help families save even more.

“We’re trying to make it as cheap for everybody as possible,” Jim Kvidera said.

“Because we have five kids, we know that’s important,” added Jennifer Kvidera.

And many families are taking advantage of the 10,000 sq. ft. indoor inflatable playground Hoppers offers. The facility can also be rented for private parties and events.

“We get people that drive almost two hours to come here,” Jim Kvidera said.

The business venture has proven to be a family affair, as the Kvidera's five children (who range in age from 3 to 12) can often be found helping out at the facility.

“Any day you come in, you’ll see the kids working the snack bar or at the end of the day helping to wipe down the bouncers,” Jennifer Kvidera said. “Even the 3-year-old grabs a spray bottle and starts wiping stuff down.”

Besides making sure the products at Hoppers are American made and meet stringent safety standards, the Kvideras have also sought their children's input when choosing the inflatables.

“We’ll say, ‘What looks fun? What do you think?’” Jennifer Kvidera said. “They’ve had a lot to do with the planning. We have one child that has some special needs so we took that into consideration as well and what would be beneficial for him.”

The Kvideras hope to continue the success they’ve seen in the past year well into the future, despite the recession.

“It’s unbelievable how many of our good friends and neighbors are in similar situations where we were financially,” Jennifer Kvidera said. “I know how hard our community was hit. But it’s also good to know that can change. Last year we had the opportunity to invest in what we could do for our future so we literally jumped in. We’re very fortunate that we’ve been able to do what we’ve done.”

For more information, visit www.hoppersfuncenter.com, or find them on Facebook.