Gene Nifenecker II founded Balloon Kings® in the Upper West Side of New York City in 2011. The Manhattan-based brand specializes in customizable balloon arrangements and décor for festive occasions such as birthday parties, anniversaries, wedding receptions, grand openings, corporate events and more. By Patty Horansky
VETERAN APPRECIATION
Gene Nifenecker II founded Balloon Kings® in the Upper West Side of New York City in 2011. The Manhattan-based brand specializes in customizable balloon arrangements and décor for festive occasions such as birthday parties, anniversaries, wedding receptions, grand openings, corporate events and more.
As a third-generation sign painter and letterer and a Marine Corps combat veteran, Nifenecker used his lifelong talent for building things and the discipline and organizational skills developed in business and the military to create his own boutique balloon store.
After his military service, he returned to sign-painting but lost the business in the 2009 economic downturn. Taking a year off to reflect, he worked in a big-box store parking lot where he met a friend who owned a small balloon business. There, Nifenecker’s idea for a mom-and-pop-style balloon store with a megastore inventory and online ordering capabilities came to life. He put his organizational skills and business savvy to work, borrowed $22,000 and launched Balloon Kings which he then franchised in 2019.
Unlike other stores that dedicate a portion of their business to balloon décor, or weekend warriors that can’t always provide the amount and quality of service clients desire, Balloon Kings is everything balloons. Nifenecker began his business making simple arrangements, bouquets, centerpieces and arches, and then he moved on to large structures.
“I was always able to see things differently,” Nifenecker said. “There’s no limit. You envision it, and we can build it!”
Today, he and his six employees provide elaborate arrangements for everyone from single clients to event coordinators. He also works with major locations like Madison Square Garden.
Building on his success, Nifenecker’s first franchise opened in Englewood, New Jersey, followed by a second in Dallas. His storefronts are streetside, not in strip malls or shopping centers, and are bright and welcoming to passersby, with a production space and wall of balloons featuring a multitude of colors, sizes, designs and environmentally friendly materials.
“It’s more like a design center than a balloon store,” Nifenecker said. Customers can come in and purchase one balloon or work with his staff to customize colors, shapes, logos and more.
Nifenecker, whose flagship store earned $1.3 million in 2023, chose a royalty theme for his brand to stand out from the balloon-store crowd.
“I wanted my idea to be different,” he said.
People began calling him “King Gene,” and the royalty theme runs throughout the brand with princesses, princes and even a throne inside each store.
“I see Balloon Kings nationwide,” Nifenecker said.
The proven model offers franchisees comprehensive support, including assistance with site location and marketing, as well as 10 days of training at the Manhattan store and on-site help at the new location.
Nifenecker seeks franchisees who are hard-working, fun-loving and skilled at building relationships. He offers a discounted franchise fee to all U.S. military veterans and first responders.
Patty Horansky