Lightbridge Academy Signs First Manhattan Franchisee, Paving the Way for Further Mid-Atlantic Domination

With centers throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, Lightbridge Academy has built a solid presence throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Now, the early education and child care franchise is about to break ground on some very coveted soil: New York City.

Lightbridge Academy franchisee Mihir Daiya, who owns and operates a Hoboken, New Jersey child care center, and his friend and business partner, Vinay Bhimjiani, are combining forces to open a center in Manhattan’s Midtown West neighborhood. The location will be housed on the street level of a newly-constructed luxury building called The Max and is currently slated to open Spring 2020.

Daiya and Bhimjiani noted the multitude of families living in Midtown West and the huge demand for child care services .

• “This location is ideally situated to address the un-met needs of many working parents in this area,” Daiya said.
• “There is a high density population of children and families with virtually no available space in the area. Most of the other child care and daycare centers are already waitlisted. The Max is brand-new, the second largest luxury building in Manhattan. When we looked at this site, we knew it was a perfect fit. It is in a great family neighborhood on the West side of Midtown, nicknamed the ‘suburbs of Manhattan’ because there are so many families in that area.”

The upcoming Manhattan location will be a tipping point for Lightbridge Academy, as it will prove that the business model is just as sustainable in high-traffic, urban areas as it is in more spread out suburban communities.

• “As The Solution for Working Parents , Lightbridge goes the extra mile for busy working parents where other providers just focus on the care of children. From extended hours, to ParentView Internet monitoring to a parent eCommunication app, we can best service the needs of the dual income family and can’t wait to be an active and supportive asset to the community,” said Lightbridge Academy Chief Development Officer Mark Mele.
• “While our brand does extremely well in suburban areas, we know there is huge untapped potential in more urban areas where child care options can be somewhat limited. Mihir has already shown his business acumen with the brand in Hoboken, and we know the team will make a difference by bringing a new center to Manhattan.”

Daiya and Bhimjiani plan to open more centers throughout New York City and are specifically looking at sites in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Queens neighborhood of Long Island City.

Lightbridge Academy’s focus on providing high-quality child care, a strong curriculum and its use of state-of-the-art technology has always been a draw for Daiya and was also a draw for Bhimjiani.

• “Lightbridge is a boutique brand with a very high premium,” Daiya said.
• “We both believe in going with the best brand out there. The services and features Lightbridge Academy offers to parents are next-level. The technology, the cameras in the classrooms and biometric entry just add to the overall ‘wow’ factor and level of care, safety and security. The directors, owners and business coaches are wonderful as well. Lightbridge has great scalability with about 40 locations currently open. We want to hit the urban markets right now in New York and New Jersey, and there are a lot of opportunities to do so.”

Bhimjiani is also excited to join the Lightbridge Academy brand. He has extensive business experience, which includes software consulting and real estate in the U.S. and India. This will be his first venture into the child care sector.