work: whirl ball
address: 3103 Odyssey Court, Naperville
Phone/Website: 630-932-4800, www.whirlyball.com
CEO: Adam Elias (35 years old, resident of Chicago)
Years in business: 30 locations, 4 in Naperville
What does your business do? “We are a business that thrives on large gatherings and bringing people together, whether it's birthday parties, company outings, or weddings. We pride ourselves on creating memorable events. That is the basis of what we do,” Elias said.
what do you offer? “We have 12 lanes of bowling, two WhirlyBall courts, a multi-level laser tag arena, as well as private event space and a bar and restaurant, The Pivot Room.”
How do you play WhirlyBall? “You ride what we call WhirlyBugs, essentially bumper cars. They're very agile. You're holding something like a lacrosse scoop. Your goal is to throw a 12-inch whiffle ball to your teammate. To pass. There is a red team and a black team. …Shoot towards the basketball backboard. There is a hole in the middle. If you hit a mid-range shot, you get 2 points. 3 points from half court. Game time 10 minutes. You can rent courts by the hour. It's a participant sport as well as a spectator sport.”
How did you get into this business? “I've been with this company most of my life. My family started WhirlyBall in Lombard in 1993. My father, Sam Elias, started it. We're celebrating our 30th anniversary. It was very special.”
How long have you lived in Naperville? “This location opened in November 2019. Please discuss timing with us.”
How did you get through the pandemic? “I led the company through a very turbulent time. … We had the challenge of shutting down. How to work with team members. … We were shut down twice in 2020. … We had to ask people to pause. But it was tough. And we had to make sure there was business on the other side for people to come back.”
How long have you been CEO? “I took on this role about three and a half years ago, in September 2020. Unfortunately, my father passed away. I worked alongside him for about seven years. Then I stepped in as a leader.”
What are the features of WhirlyBall? “WhirlyBall is the only mechanized team sport I know of on the planet. …You don’t have to be an athlete to play. We believe that you have to be skilled. You don't have to be. Let's all learn together.”
Did your dad create WhirlyBall? “He's the one who brought it to Chicago. We lived in South Florida, and my mom threw me a surprise 30th birthday party for my dad at a place called WhirlyBall. …There was only one court and one bleacher seat. …He said it was unique. …He visited the site in Atlanta, Michigan. He said, “If I can do it in Michigan, I'll do it in Chicago. I'm going to “I'm going to''. With many months of terrible weather, people need to do things indoors. ”
What did you learn from your father? “How to be resourceful. If you have a problem to solve, what is your ability to troubleshoot and solve it?”
Where else? “Chicago, Vernon Hills, Brookfield, Wisconsin, and Colorado Springs, Colorado.”
Do you have a favorite story? “That moment when we brought everyone back to work[after the pandemic]was probably my favorite moment. Telling the people I care about that I can't offer business hours right now because I'm out of business.” was very difficult. my work family.
“The silver lining for us is that companies look at WhirlyBall and say, 'We can bring our teams together in a space that they're excited about.' … They can have breakfasts, lunches, meetings, Then you can have a good time.”
Do you have any future plans? “Extending the concept and growing into new markets.”
When are you busy? “There is no lull.”
How much is it? “It costs $250 per hour to rent a court. 10 people can play at a time. We recommend a maximum of 20 or 30 people per (rental court).”
What about competition? “If you have a unique concept that combines quality food and drink with excellent guest service, you can become part of the market share.”
Is Naperville good for business? “Yes. It's a great location for us. …Moving to Naperville was the right decision. When our lease at Lombard ended, we wanted to add bowling. We needed to move. had.”
What advice would you give to someone starting a business? “Do your homework. …Maybe you'll meet people in that industry. It's going to cost more than you think, so plan accordingly.”
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. If you know of a business you'd like to see featured on Down to Business, please contact us at metschmsfl@yahoo.com.
