Big Blue Swim School Enters the Second Half of the Year with Agreements for More than 150 Locations; Celebrates Record-Breaking Store Opening in Colorado

Big Blue Swim School, the U.S.'s fastest-growing swim-school franchise, made a massive splash in Centennial, Colorado when it debuted its first franchise in the state and broke the brand’s record for pre-registrations. Hundreds of families eagerly signed their children up for swim lessons.

“Our ability to determine the right locations with excellent drive-by traffic and demographics that align perfectly with our brand is the result of the exhaustive research we put in before every launch,” said Big Blue Swim School CEO Scott Sanders.

The brand is building on that momentum with new lease agreements in Ann Arbor and Sterling Heights, Michigan and in Paramus, New Jersey. The Michigan locations are part of a plan to open at least eight units in the state with three multi-unit franchise partners.

• The Paramus location is part of a three-unit deal with a multi-unit franchise operator.
• In total, Big Blue currently has agreements in place for 152 units and is actively scouting out real estate across 22 states.

The brand’s momentum with franchise partners is continuing in markets across the country, including Boston, Southern California, Northern Virginia, and the southeast region. “We’re excited about the pace of the growth we’re experiencing,” Sanders said.

Big Blue Swim School was founded in 2009 by competitive swimmer Chris DeJong. The first location opened in Wilmette, Illinois, followed by four additional Chicagoland schools. In 2017, Level 5 Capital Partners acquired a stake in the brand, and pools are now open in Chicago, Atlanta, Denver and Northern Virginia.

The brand is actively growing in several other key markets across the country, including Houston, Kansas City, San Jose, Raleigh, Phoenix, Cleveland, Seattle, Milwaukee, Madison, and Green Bay. “We’re not just opening swim schools, we’re helping children build life-saving skills and boost their confidence at the same time. That’s extremely rewarding for us, and for our franchise partners,” Sanders said.