Launch Development Chief Helps Family Entertainment Concept Push Expansion

When he’s not whitewater kayaking and practicing his golf swing, Jeff Todd is leading Launch Entertainment’s strategic team to bring the trampoline park franchise to new cities around the country. “The pressure’s on and I really have to deliver for the company,” said Todd.

In March, Launch promoted Todd to chief development officer. “I’m really excited about it and I feel honored that they trust me with the role,” he said.

Previously with Driven Brands, Todd came to Launch in 2022 as senior vice president of business development. In that role, he led franchise sales and worked on site selection efforts, which he will continue to do as CDO. He’s now also responsible for developing and executing broader development strategies for the team.

Todd admitted there’s more pressure with the new title, and he has different priorities vying for his attention. Developing Launch is the overarching goal, and Todd is looking for the right partners to make that happen.

“A good partner for us is more than someone who’s just capital and wants to be part of the family, which are both good characteristics,” said Todd. “It’s also making sure they have an understanding of the franchisee-franchisor relationship, experience running teams and creating the culture.”

Todd wants to have a mutually successful partnership, so having a franchisee with experience and passion is the high standard. Understanding the market will also help franchisees overcome challenges, mainly the difficulty finding real estate. Launch locations are large, at roughly 30,000 to 50,000 square feet.

Operating in smaller spaces is possible, but including the necessary attractions for a family adventure park concept requires a certain footprint. In addition to trampolines, many Launch units have restaurants, bars and arcades.

To mitigate challenges, Launch meets with landlords regularly to help them understand how the concept fits in a given site.

Launch is pursuing nationwide expansion but with a focus now on the Midwest and southern United States. Many of the concept’s 27 locations are in the Northeast, including in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The next openings on the docket are in Texas and Colorado, while deals are in the works along the East Coast and in Arizona. Seven units are under construction.

“Where we want to be in real estate, there’s a lot of demand,” said Todd. “We’re agnostic where we want to grow and we want to grow with great franchise partners along the way.”