Monster Mini Golf goes in search of new haunts nationwide
Twenty years ago, in the small eastern Connecticut town of Danielson, Christina and Patrick Vitagliano would sit at their kitchen table brainstorming business opportunities. One dark and gloomy night, it hit them: glow-in-the-dark miniature golf with courses stalked by colorful and creepy monsters!
Today, with mini-golf-themed entertainment centers scoring spaces in downtowns and shopping centers, the Vitaglianos’ Monster Mini Golf finds itself on the rise.
In 2015, North Carolina business consultant Christopher King joined Monster Mini Golf as its COO and opened two units of the concept himself in Charlotte and Gastonia. Six years later, when the Vitaglianos retired, King and three other franchisees acquired the company and began expanding the now 31-unit chain throughout the United States and Canada.
“Everyone loves the great theme parks, but they have a price tag to match,” King said. “Monster Mini Golf provides a variety of experiences that can begin for as little as $13 for a single round of golf for an adult, allowing multiple visits throughout the year.”
This month a new, modern-era Monster Mini Golf opened at Sunset Plaza in Monroe, N.C. The 11,500-sq.-ft. entertainment center features Monster’s signature 18-hole course (with black-lighting illuminating scary creatures), a Laser Maze arcade, haunted party rooms, and a live (so we’re told) DJ.
Monster Mini Golf is serious about its “family entertainment” appellation; the brand’s snack bar is alcohol-free. Giddy, however, is MMG’s new landlord in Monroe.
“Monster Mini Golf will activate this property like never before,” proclaimed Will Whitley, founding partner of New South Properties, which owns Sunset Plaza. “MMG will be our second anchor tenant and will take Sunset Plaza to another level. The area neighborhoods and schools will benefit greatly from this new activity for families.”
Chris King claims that new Monster Mini Golfs have quickly established themselves as community staples wherever they’ve opened.
“We also serve as a source of 20 to 25 local jobs when we open a new location,” he remarked. “We can’t wait to get the haunted party started.”