A new Goldfish Swim School, the chain’s third on Long Island, will open in Centereach in January.
Franchisee Jake Atchoo plans to open the 9,400-square-foot swim school at 141 Centereach Mall. Suffolk County’s first Goldfish Swim School joins existing locations in Garden City and Farmingdale owned by Michigan-based franchisee BHB Investment Holdings, which has the development rights for Nassau County.
Goldfish provides year-round swim instruction to children ages 4 months to 12 years old. The school also offers weekly family swims and party packages. The facility features a viewing gallery for parents to watch lessons, a dressing area with private changing rooms, snack bar and retail shop amidst a tropical décor.
Atchoo says the school is nothing to sneeze at, since it provides potentially life-saving skills.
“We know that this area has a strong swimming community and we are thrilled to bring the Goldfish curriculum, high-quality instruction and state of the art facility to Centereach and the surrounding towns,” Atchoo said in a company statement. “Our team wants to ensure that children have a safe, fun, and friendly place to learn this important, life-saving skill.”
The new Centereach school is seeking to fill positions for certified swim instructors, deck supervisors, lifeguards and customer service roles.
The all-in cost to open a Goldfish Swim School ranges from $1.5 million to $2 million. The ideal space for the swim school ranges from 7,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet and must have ample parking to fit a minimum of 80 to 100 vehicles.
Founded by the husband-and-wife team of Jenny and Chris McCuiston, Troy, Mich.-based Goldfish began franchising the concept in 2009 and currently has more than 90 schools open or in development in more than 26 states and Canada. They teach more than 100,000 students a week to swim and be safer in and around the water.
