After a career in healthcare spanning more than two decades, this entrepreneur fulfilled a lifelong dream by creating the borough’s largest inflatable playground

by Amanda McCoy

As often as not, the American dream is rooted in entrepreneurship. Government statistic analyses tell us that a new business is started nearly every minute in the U.S., but the success rate for young ventures is meager at best. Only 20% of new enterprises will celebrate a one-year anniversary, and the numbers only get dimmer. Studies indicate that for every 100 startups, only four will make it to the 10-year mark.

Aware of that volatility, BounceU of Brooklyn owner Ignacio Lopez recently took that leap of faith after dreaming of business ownership ever since he migrated from Cuba to Miami as a boy in the late 1960s. But, to avoid becoming another statistic, he waited until the timing was just right.

As an young adult, he took all the necessary steps: obtained a business degree, procured managerial experience in a Florida restaurant, and even made a nest egg early on by taking up cross-country truck driving in his early 20s. In 1986, he traded sunshine for snow boots and relocated to New York in search of opportunity, but rather than immediately diving into startup culture, he found enlightening and steady employment in the healthcare industry.

“I’ve always wanted to be a business owner, but became reluctant as I progressed in my field,” Lopez recalled. “I got married, had a child, and bought a home. Then I would get promoted, get a pay increase, and think to myself, ‘Why would I abandon this to take the risky route?’”

Lopez spent more than 20 years with Northwell Health as its senior administrative director of neurology, building professional relationships and honing his business acumen. But as he approached his golden birthday, he noticed a sequential shift in the industry, one he could not take lightly.

“I realized at 50 years old that the dynamics had changed,” Lopez said. “I had colleagues my age who were being let go, people that moved mountains. I just didn’t want to become a statistic, and definitely didn’t want to be caught off guard.”

There didn’t seem a more opportune time to actualize his childhood ambitions, so Lopez began a three-year search for the right thing. After sifting through countless proposals—from car washes to delis, and asking offers so outrageous they were practically comical—he discovered a 10,000-square-foot opportunity that put a bounce in his step.

At the intersection of Fort Hamilton and 68th Street now sits BounceU, a sprawling inflatable jungle gym where kids and adults alike gather to ditch their shoes and inhibitions. The previous owners had made this location the second most profitable franchise in the company, and after multiple site tours and countless hours reviewing the books, Lopez was confident that he’d found a new home.

In December of last year, the sale was made official, and the new business owner quickly put his managerial chops to work. His previous experience prepared him to handle the monstrous NYC rents, insurance, payroll, and all the remaining arduous responsibilities that come with proprietorship. He did, however, also find that the role of “chief entertainment officer” did have some requirements he didn’t anticipate.

“More like chief cook and bottle washer,” he said with a smile.

BounceU
6722 Fort Hamilton Parkway
347.450.5867 / bounceu.com