How Big Blue Swim School’s Facilities Ensure Comfort for Parents and Students Alike

Chicago-based Big Blue Swim School, one of the nation’s fastest-growing swim school franchises, is uniquely positioned to lead the $3 billion learn-to-swim industry. And although its effective curriculum and proprietary technology are two of the key reasons for its explosive growth, it’s also thanks in large part to the comfort and amenities for both students and families offered in its state-of-the-art facilities.

“At Big Blue, we are not only changing the way kids learn to swim, but we’re also changing the swim lesson experience for the entire family,” said Brooke Mallick, Big Blue’s chief marketing officer. “We’ve designed our facilities so that everyone enjoys that 30-to-45-minute swim lesson window – whether you’re a kid in the water, or a parent in the viewing area.”

An Enjoyable Experience For Everyone

Drawing from his own difficult learn-to-swim experience, Big Blue Swim School Founder Chris DeJong set out to design a swim school that wouldn’t force kids to enter a freezing pool or be left shivering poolside after a lesson. That’s why at Big Blue, the pool water sits at a warm 90 degrees and the air is climate-controlled at 91 degrees so that kids feel comfortable both in the water and out.

Big Blue’s thoughtful design doesn’t end there though. Recognizing the true customer is mom and dad, DeJong made sure to ensure that the parents had just as pleasant an experience as their kids. Separated by a clear glass floor-to-ceiling partition, parents can fully observe the lesson in a climate-controlled, WiFi-enabled viewing area. And recent updates to the facility have also included added speakers for music and televisions for pool information and updates. 

“Parents like to come in and scroll Instagram or TikTok,” Mallick said. “Our facilities have been designed in a way that keeps the fun sounds of the kids and their instructors poolside, so parents have a moment of peace and can use it to relax or get work done. I've watched moms do whole conference calls in the lobby area of the facility.”

Safety In Every Square Inch 

Even though customer comfort is a priority for the brand, safety is just as important – both inside and outside the pool.

From a young age, kids are taught not to run around a pool to prevent injuries, but Big Blue has also equipped their facilities with antimicrobial, non-slip carpeting in the lobbies. In addition to cleanliness, this further prevents falls as kids make their way to the changing rooms. Each Big Blue location has 12 to 15 changing rooms to reduce the time each student has to wait to change into dry clothing. And hair dryers are built in, so that kids don’t have to leave with wet hair in the winter.

“We know parents need to get their children dried off and comfortable and dressed to go back out into whatever the weather is outside,” Mallick said.

Location, Location, Location 

And while facility amenities are important, it’s convenience that can really provide the most comfort. As the ‘Amazon effect’ sees more brick-and-mortar stores closing as customers shift to online shopping, Big Blue is taking full advantage of the abundance of big-box real estate opportunities in order to put its locations in shopping centers that are already well-traveled by families.

“We put our customers at the center of our real estate strategy,” said Scott Sanders, Big Blue CEO. “By making locations easy to find and access, Big Blue makes itself convenient, while also increasing brand awareness.”

By designing facilities in a way that is appealing for both parents and children, Big Blue has become one of the leading learn-to-swim destinations in the country.

“We’ve always felt that everyone should feel at home and comfortable in our locations, whether in or out of the water — parent or child,” DeJong said. “It was always the foundation of our brand to create a desirable atmosphere that is a far cry from what most of these parents grew up associating with swim lessons. We did our best to take out the parts that both parents and children disliked from swim lessons of the past to make coming to Big Blue a visit the whole family can look forward to.”

Making comfortable locations easily accessible is part of Big Blue’s strategic plan to achieve its growth goals of having 240 pools sold by the end of 2022. With 227 committed stores in 25 states, the brand is well on its way.

The total investment to start a new Big Blue Swim School is $2,475,200 to $3,966,700. To learn more about Big Blue Swim School franchise opportunities, visit https://bigblueswimschool.com/franchising/.