Family opens Airtastic inflatable play land to work off energy
The energy of three young boys sparked the idea for a new business in Aurora.
Chris and Jacque LeBreck's three sons were the inspiration for Airtastic, an inflatable play land for children.
The business at 850 S. Frontenac St. opened in early March and features 10 inflatable jumping structures. It differs from other facilities like it in that it offers open play throughout the day. Many of the other jumping play lands in the area are only available for birthday parties.
"Ours is 100 percent open play," Chris said.
He added that as parents, he and his wife were constantly looking for places to take their kids. A place for children to run off some extra energy was always a bonus.
Their 18,000-square-foot facility offers a lot of room to run and jump. Airtastic also offers four private party rooms.
The LeBreck's started developing their business plan about four years ago. "It's been worth the wait," said Chris, who grew up in Palatine.
The couple is utilizing their previous careers in launching the play palace. Chris, 46, spent the past 25 years in the electronics industry. He also created an interactive Web site for the new business where participants can book parties or play times.
Jacque worked in meeting and event management. The couple is raising their three sons -- Mason, 9, Jarrett, 6, and Nolan, 5 -- in Naperville.
The cost to attend Airtastic for an hour is $6.95 per child. The cost for two hours is $9.95.
The business is planning many community events and has hosted school fundraisers.
Also, to utilize their personal experience in raising children, the couple will offer a summer camp that encourages children to study.
It's an activity camp where children bring in their workbook with coursework to prepare them for their next grade. The kids study for an hour and earn an hour and a half to play and jump. The cost to attend the camp is $11.95 per day with a snack and drink included. Parents can also sign up on Airtastic's Web site.
For more information, call (630) 851-7525 or check out www.airtastic.com.
Buying for baby: Buybuy Baby recently opened in Downers Grove at 1556 Butterfield Road. This is the first store in Illinois for the chain.
The 35,000-square-foot store features merchandise for newborns to age 3, including furniture, strollers, clothing and more.
The business, based in Garden City, N.Y., is a subsidiary of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. There are 10 of the stores in five states.
Buybuy Baby was founded in 1996 by brothers Richard and Jeffrey Feinstein. It was acquired by Bed Bath & Beyond in 2007. The brothers continue to run the operations.