Though not born into royalty, Gene Nifenecker II decided to create his own kingdom by opening Balloon Kings®, a balloon-supplying franchise that offers customizable arrangements. In his domain, Nifenecker goes by “The King” and upholds the royalty theme throughout the business, even dubbing his first franchisee, Asia Castro, “The Queen.” By Kelsi Trinidad
THE BUZZ
Though not born into royalty, Gene Nifenecker II decided to create his own kingdom by opening Balloon Kings®, a balloon-supplying franchise that offers customizable arrangements. In his domain, Nifenecker goes by “The King” and upholds the royalty theme throughout the business, even dubbing his first franchisee, Asia Castro, “The Queen.”
However, before he rose to royalty, Nifenecker, a former Marine, was looking to start his next chapter in life. He had gone out on his own as a third-generation signage business owner focused on real estate, but he was burned by the 2008 real estate crash. After helping a friend with a balloon arrangement, he took out a small loan and opened a balloon shop on the Upper West Side of New York City. In 2011, Nifenecker founded Balloon Kings.
“I took the pieces of the ‘70s and ‘80s mom-and-pop store style feel with the ‘90s and early 2000s mega-store inventory,” he said.
For three years, he ran his one store in Manhattan, New York, with sales increasing each year. One day, a customer inquired about the business’s corporate office, and after Nifenecker did his research, he began developing his franchise model.
Nifenecker knew the concept was special. He rose above in an industry where most balloon vendors were more weekend warriors or smaller inventory businesses operating out of their homes, limiting the type of customers that they could take. With his brick-and-mortar megastore, Nifenecker was able to service large company events in the realm of Madison Square Garden, Chase Bank and local hospitals.
The business has since expanded to New Jersey and Dallas, and there are plans to spread the kingdom across the nation. Balloon Kings has a clear formula modeled after Nifenecker’s success, which includes on-site training in the New York City location and a roster of teams ready to help franchisees get their business off the ground in areas such as real estate, marketing and cabinetry. Balloon Kings is not only a concept born of innovation and success, but it’s also one that will show people how to become the rulers of their own castles.
Kelsi Trinidad