Big Blue Celebrates 3 Years of Franchising with Support of Level 5 Capital Partners

Big Blue Swim School, one of the nation’s fastest-growing swim school franchises, launched its franchising system just over three years ago. In that time, the brand has already sold more than 50 percent of its inventory, awarding more than 200 units across the U.S. Big Blue’s rapid growth in such a short period can be attributed largely to its partnership with investor and anchor franchisee Level 5 Capital Partners, which took a stake in the brand in 2017.

With Level 5’s focus on data-driven methods and exceptional franchisor support, Big Blue Swim School is poised to emerge as the leader of the booming $3 billion learn-to-swim segment. The brand currently has 11 open locations, with plans to open 10 more this year, and has awarded 214 units to new franchise partners, thanks to the support of Level 5.

“Level 5 is a true partnership,” said Dennis Campbell, Big Blue’s VP of franchise development. “They have been in lockstep with our mission and values and helped us reach our overall goal of perfecting the franchise unit model. Not only that, but they’ve also helped us hone our real estate strategy, and ensure that our proprietary technology continues to evolve so that we can create a frictionless experience for anyone who comes to any of our stores.”

Since launching the franchise model in 2018 with Level 5’s backing, Big Blue has seen increased demand in markets across the country. In fact, existing franchise partners continue to sign on for additional units so they can secure a larger part of their market.

“Our level of growth within three short years with Level 5 is validation of the brand’s proven business model, strong franchise partner support, exceptional consumer offering, and the unprecedented execution of its proprietary enterprise technology to parents and franchise owners alike,” said Big Blue CEO Scott Sanders. “This success was made possible by the resources and knowledge of the team at Level 5, and we look forward to the continued partnership as we focus on scaling.”

Level 5 Chief Development Officer and Managing Director Scott Thompson says that above all, Level 5 provided Big Blue the opportunity and the runway to scale at an incredible pace.

“From the beginning, investing in Big Blue made sense for Level 5,” Thompson said. “We knew Big Blue had the foundation to become a leader in the learn-to-swim space with its proprietary software technology, LessonBuddy™. Data from LessonBuddy helps Big Blue franchise partners understand customer behavior, which leads to optimized capacity planning as we work together to plan for more advancements and locations.”

Level 5 is helping grow alongside Big Blue’s franchise partners, as the brand is developing 43 stores in California, Georgia, Maryland, New York, Texas, and Virginia.

“Level 5 brings a holistic approach to Big Blue that allows us to maximize the opportunity to build pools across the country so kids can learn how to swim,” Campbell said. Right now, there's just not enough water out there for families, and Big Blue is well on the way to filling this demand and becoming a nationally recognized name in the learn-to-swim industry.”

Multi-unit franchise opportunities are available for qualified candidates looking for their next big opportunity, and veterans can receive a 10 percent discount on the $80,000 franchise fee. The total investment necessary to begin operation of a new Big Blue is $2,475,200 to $3,966,700 (refer to item 7 in FDD) To learn more or inquire about Big Blue, visit *