The Bower family’s goal is finally realized.
After years in the inflatable bounce house business and keeping the possibility of establishing an official party place alive, Sheila and John Bower and their three sons now run a physical location: Ah Sir Bounce A Lot Indoor Bounce Center.
The facility is an extension of their rental business, which they took over in 2004 when a friend needed a vehicle. They traded their van for the business, which had only two bounce houses at the time. Today, the Bowers rent out 16 bounce houses, concession items, and a 26-foot rock-climbing wall.
With the business originally named Sir Bounce A Lot, the Bowers had trouble adjusting to using their phone for its new identity.
“We were answering the phone, ‘Uh … Sir Bounce A Lot?’” John said. “That’s how it got its name. But it puts us at the front of the alphabet.”
By using the same moniker for the new space, the Bowers hope to expand and provide more options for returning and new customers.
“This area needs something like this, something different—a different environment for parties that’s fun,” Sheila said.
One side of the center features an open-top obstacle course, a half-covered bounce house with a slide, and a 20-by-20 open-top joust arena, which will also function as a board for a game of Twister, with its colorful polka dots.
The other side of the center features two cake rooms with wood flooring done by John, and a fenced toddler area for smaller children. The fences and posts around the facility come from reused lumber, John said, and the front counter and paint are leftovers from Habitat for Humanity.
“We’re recyclers,” he explained.
Kyle, the oldest son, painted the walls with bricks and towers to give it a castle theme. The highlight of his artistry—a deep purple and red dragon peeking around a corner—surrounds the back doorway.
The Bower sons have helped their family’s business ever since it began. The two older sons—Kyle, 20, and Shane, 18—drive the bounce houses to their destinations, and sometimes their friends accompany them to help with the deliveries. The youngest of the three sons, Michael, 16, only has his learner’s permit, but Sheila guarantees he’ll be helping out with the delivery business once he’s able to drive.
In the future, Sheila anticipates hiring more staff besides her sons at the center. The current schedule, which is a “work in progress,” has the center open seven days a week, with the weekends reserved for private parties only.
The indoor bounce center is scheduled to open on May 1 at 1140 E. Clark Ave., suite 120, in Orcutt.
For more information on the center, including party reservations, check out its website at ahsirbouncealot.com or call 937-5969.
Highlights
• First Christian Church will provide lunch on April 28 at noon to local business leaders interested in discussing the upcoming Global Leadership Summit. Scheduled for Aug. 11 and 12, the summit is a simulcast that aims to improve leadership. It will feature a lineup of speakers. The lunch will take place at First Christian Church, 1550 S. College Drive, in Santa Maria.
• Robins|Reed held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of phase 1 at Briar Creek, a residential community of 80 detached homes in Lompoc, on April 26. The groundbreaking will start at 2004 Jalama Ct.
• Learn what it takes to land a job at Job Connection. Stop by May 10 or 24 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Allan Hancock Community College Student Center. Free pizza and drinks will be provided. For a parking pass, send an e-mail to srobb@hancock.edu.
This week’s Biz Spotlight/Highlights were written and compiled by Intern Sarah Parr. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Apr 28 – May 5, 2011.