A 20-year-old company that helped invent indoor miniature golf is expanding into new locations across the U.S. and Canada. Monster Mini Golf has 30 venues in 18 U.S. states and another two in Canada, and it plans to open 18 new venues by the end of 2025, all in five new states: Delaware, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Louisiana. It also is in active discussions to open more units as part of a Canadian expansion.

Each Monster Mini Golf location features an 18-hole, glow-in-the-dark course with theme park-quality animatronic monsters, a DJ and concert-like lighting, according to the company. Each location also has redemption games and a prize center, as well as party and event rooms. Larger venues also may include bowling, laser tag or virtual reality activities. Geared to audiences from 5 to 95, families can split up and enjoy what interests each individual or can visit all the experiences together, and that flexibility encourages multiple visits.

“Destination theme parks like Disney World, Dollywood and Six Flags are amazing but expensive experiences for a family, and on the other end of the spectrum, shopping centers have long featured cinemas and arcades to entertain their guests,” said Monster president Chris King. “By offering a variety of reasonably priced experiences at convenient locations, Monster Mini Golf invites guests to return multiple times during the year, especially during the summer, when retail centers are typically less busy.”

The franchisor ensures the design of each location is tailored to the local community. “We go into every market, and we do a local storyboard with famous people, places, landmarks, things that have been around forever,” said King. “We do our own theming and have a construction affiliate that plans, designs and builds our own products. We can really maintain the quality and the consistency by not having a third party do that.”

The decision to grow is based on 20 years of experience and data. “We have operational and financial models that have been fully tested and matured, and we have the ability to enter markets of all shapes and sizes,” said King. “Once we enter a new market, we have the ability to thrive in these unique spaces, so it just presents a unique opportunity for potential business owners, landlords and local families alike.”

Monster Mini Golf’s History

Christina and Patrick Vitagliano founded Monster Mini Golf in 2004. King joined the company in 2015 as COO, and he and his wife became franchisees in 2021. They relocated from Jupiter, Florida, to Charlotte, North Carolina and opened two franchises in the area. They have another under development.

At an advisory board meeting in April 2022, the founders announced they would retire and were looking for new ownership. In January 2023, King and three other franchisees — Nick Mastrandrea in the Northeast; Alex Gonzalez based in Texas; and Holly Hernandez, also based in Texas — purchased the company. Collectively the ownership team owns and operates 13 locations. “This is very unique in the franchise world, a franchisor that is truly owned by franchisees,” said King.

By the end of 2023, Monster Entertainment had 29 stores operating and 19 franchise agreements under development, including Katy, Texas, which opened on March 9. “Our recent growth has been propelled just by confidence in the brand,” King said recently, just over a year since he and the new owners took over. “We have several franchisees that have opted to do their second or third location, so it has been an exciting year.” Much of the focus last year was on building more corporate infrastructure, bringing in architectural firms and other vendors that will be needed to sustain future growth responsibly.

Real Estate Needs

Monster’s strategy is unique in that franchisees choose from three venue formats. The core model fits a roughly 10,000-square-foot format and includes mini golf, an arcade and two event rooms. The midsize model requires 11,000 to 13,000 square feet adds four lanes of duckpin bowling and a laser tag maze. A large format covers between 17,000 and 20,000 square feet and adds a laser tag arena and the option for a snack bar. “Our model is nimble, and it gives us more opportunity when we enter into a market and we are looking for that strong real estate partner,” said King. “We don’t have to be cornered into one box.”

Ideal properties are midsize strip centers and that mix retail and fast-casual dining. Monster favors a population density of 500,000 within 10 miles. “The more people you have in that density level, the more success that you are going to have because … we keep it affordable for everyone,” said King. “You can come in and play a game of mini golf for $10 to $12 and get a really cool, hour-long experience.”

Franchise Agreements

Each franchise agreement is structured with a 10-year term and five-year extensions. The franchise fee is $40,000for the first location and less for subsequent locations. A 7% operational royalty fee and a 2% collaborative marketing fee kick in once the location opens.

Monster provides franchisees with turnkey service. “We are a full marketing and training company, so new franchisees come to Charlotte for seven to 10 days of formal training before they open their store. We run pre-opening marketing for all of the new locations in order to ensure that they are going to have a robust and a healthy grand opening, and we provide grand opening support and more training on-site,” said King. “Once a store is open, it is just full support as you need it. If you need a weekly call and help with your finances and really continue your hand being held, we will do that. … If you are independent, then we are there whenever you need us, whether it is an online resource or it is a phone call.”

King added: “We are looking for dedicated partners with a combination of business acumen and the desire to serve families and people of all ages while they are having fun, as well as creating that fun environment for their teams.”