Roller Rinks

Question
i would like to start a roller Skating business,I will be building it from scratch and would like if you could send a drawing of a floor plan on how to set up the skating rink. Once this one opens I would like to franchise the project to other area, as I know that there are not any for 1000 miles near here, so it would be very profitable,
I would like any other information that you could give me as well.

Answer
Hi Joan,
  This is the same reply I sent to another person asking about building a rink.  The layout of your floor plan would depend on the shape and size of your building.  The info below should be quite helpful though.

I personally have never been involved with the planning and building of a skating rink.  I teach skating and would be able to help you with a plan for building kids classes and teaching private lessons after you've started building.

 The web sites that I have referred others to with the same questions as yours are:

http://www.rinkconsulting.com/

http://www.seskate.com/build/index.html

The rink floor sizes in the USA vary from 68'x 165' to 104'x 200'.  You don't want the smallest floor but you may not need the largest floor either.  A nice size floor would be approx. 80'x 180'.

Keep in mind you will need a snack bar area with tables where you can serve food, hold birthday parties and where people can sit and eat.  Birthday parties are a good source of income for rink.

Most rinks in the US serve pizza, pop, chips, hotdogs, candy, nacho's and bottled water.  That's the basic menu here then you can add anything that people in your area would most likely purchase.

You will also need benches along the sides of the rink where people can just sit or put their skates on.

You will need an wide range of sizes of rental skates, both quads, inline skates and speed skates depending what you think people would use there.

Kids love games so you might consider arcade games.  They are another source of income.

You will also need lockers for people to place their personal items in while they skate.

Most rinks have a floor scrubbing machine to keep their floors clean.

When planning keep in mind that you will need areas for:
   1) Front door ticket office to sell tickets
   2) An office to do your paper work etc.
   3) Snack bar with ample seating
   4) Mens & Ladies washrooms
   5) Lockers
   6) Skate Rental room
   7) Storage rooms for equipment(floor scrubber, mops, brooms etc)
   8) The actual skating surface
   9) A DJ booth where he can play the music from and also be
      able to look out over the floor to keep track of things.
  10) A novelty shop area where kids can buy little toys, gadgets
      etc.

Depending on your location requirements you will also need emergency exits through out the building.  

People you will need on staff:
   1) Manager (unless you do it all yourself)
   2) Someone to take the money at the front door
   3) People to work the snack bar
   4) Floor guards (to keep skating safe and organized)
   5) Someone to work the skate rental room
         (depending on the crowd, sometimes the floor guards can
            handle this also)
   6) Someone to dry dust mop the floor after each skating session  
         (floor guards can do this also)
   7) A DJ to run the music  

Dry dust mopping after each public session is a must.  It avoids
law suits for you.  Anything left on the floor that people can trip over and get hurt on, makes you liable.  

The information above should give you a pretty good idea of what's in most roller rink.  Where to place things is up to you and will be determined by the layout of your actual skating surface.

Good Luck
 Pat