22
18 years
$1.1M*
Turnkey
Parents told us what was missing. We built it.
In 2008, two dads, Brett Aldons and Lawrence Cusdin, kept taking their kids to playcentres with tired equipment, grubby bathrooms and forgettable coffee. Yet every one of them was packed.
They saw the gap: families would pay for a playcentre that was safe, spotless and somewhere parents actually wanted to sit. So they bought a small centre in Knox, rebuilt it, and learned the business inside out. In 2010 they opened what was then the largest indoor playcentre in Australia, in Pakenham. In 2014 they added an exclusive partnership with Muffin Break.
Today, every new Croc’s opens with a Muffin Break café inline. The kids get the 30m slide. The parents get award-winning coffee and a real “me-moment”. You get a business both of them want to come back to.
One centre. Two Brand Advantages.
Most playcentres run a generic kiosk. Yours runs a brand Australians already trust.
Croc's Playcentre brings
- A family entertainment brand known for safe, spotless centres
- Play entry for kids 1 to 12, with baby and toddler zones
- Themed parties: disco, baking, pamper, AFL footy and more
- Mr Croc’s Club loyalty program
Muffin Break brings
- A national bakery café brand with over 140 Australian locations
- Award-winning signature coffee from accredited baristas
- Food baked fresh daily, with gluten-free and dairy-free options
- Muffin Break loyalty and kids and party menus
One lease, one team, one set of overheads, with two reasons for every family to walk in.
Muffin Break is a five-time Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Award winner for Coffee Shop of the Year, and its coffee won medals in four categories at the 2017 Golden Bean Coffee Roasters Competition.
Seven ways your centre earns
01
Play entry
Casual visits, multi-visit passes and Mothers’ Group sessions.
02
Birthday parties
From simple café parties to premium interactive parties, across up to 5 themed rooms.
03
Muffin Break café
Coffee, breakfast, lunch and fresh-baked treats.
04
Catering
Party platters and take-home catering.
05
After-hours venue hire
“Night Functions” for families, schools and corporate groups.
06
Events
Children’s education and entertainment events, plus school holiday programs.
07
Add-ons
Mr Croc’s Snappy Meals, rides such as electric mini-cars, and OSHC where you hold a provider number.
No hospitality background? No stress.
Our most successful owners aren’t career café people. They’re parents, managers and team leaders who wanted to build something of their own, close to home.
You'll thrive at Croc's if you:
- Want to be hands-on and lead your team day to day
- Love customer service and a busy, happy floor
- Follow a proven system rather than reinvent one
- Have the drive, integrity and work ethic to build a local institution
What you'll get back:
- Daytime trading hours that fit family life, not late nights
- A business that is part of your community’s weekends, birthdays and school holidays
- A team you develop and a business you can be proud of
Becoming a Croc's Playcentre franchisee has allowed us to enter the industry with the right tools and support needed to be successful from day one.
We've opened 22 centres. We'll help you open yours.
1
Before you open
CORE 1
Two weeks of training in Sydney at Foodco’s training centre, including Muffin Break in-store training.
2
Before you open
In-centre training
Two weeks learning the Croc’s floor, parties and safety systems.
3
Opening
Opening support
9 to 10 days of on-site training after opening, including your first busy weekends and party sessions.
4
Six months in
CORE 2
A three-day accredited program to sharpen your operation.
5
Ongoing
Always on
Consultant visits, online modules, group meetings and an annual franchise conference.
Site and lease
Our development team finds the site, negotiates the lease with you and supports you at renewal.
- Warehouse-style centre of approx. 1,000 m² (typically 900 to 1,200 m²)
- 6 m internal clearance for the 30m slide and climbing frames
- On-site parking for families
- Room for all play areas, centre facilities and an inline café under one roof
- Sites assessed for local demand: around 18,000 children per territory
Design and build
Our development team finds the site, negotiates the lease with you and supports you at renewal.
Play area
- 30m slide
- Ball battle zone
- Dedicated baby and toddler areas
- Safety matting throughout
Parties and facilities
- Typically 5 themed party rooms
- Bathrooms with kids safety locks
- Parents room
- Bespoke inline Muffin Break café
Marketing
A specialist consultant builds your local launch plan, backed by national campaigns, social media and your own centre website.
Operations
A dedicated operations consultant for sales, training and compliance.
Technology
Online party bookings, cloud safety auditing and best-in-sector reporting.
Product
New parties, menus and play experiences developed centrally.
Built to earn from every visit, every party, every coffee
Croc’s isn’t a one-ticket business. Every centre earns from three strong streams, and the biggest one is booked in advance.
$1.1M*
average annual revenue per centre across the group
Why the model holds up
From first chat to grand opening in 6 simple stages
01
Fit Check
Answer four questions and receive the Franchise Guide.
02
Discovery call
A 15-minute call with our development manager.
03
Interview and site search
We match you with available sites in your area.
04
Commit
Pay a refundable deposit and sign the Letter of Offer, then disclosure, legal and accounting advice, and your Franchise Agreement.
05
Train and build
CORE 1 training while your centre is designed and built.
06
Open the doors
Launch with our operations team beside you.
Your community needs a great place to play. It could be yours.
Take the 60-second Fit Check, get the Franchise Guide, and find out if there’s a site near you.