In 2013, Brittany Anderson and Rob Davy made a bold move: they quit their full-time jobs to open the Edmonton Paintball Centre. Partners in business and in life, they both wanted to be entrepreneurs and to work somewhere where people could have a good time. “Businesses where people are choosing to do it because it’s something fun that they want to do – there is a different kind of dynamic and relationship with the customer,” says Rob. “They leave with a big smile on their face, saying, ‘That was tons of fun.’”
It took six months to find the right location in downtown Edmonton. “We have unique requirements. To do indoor recreation, you need lots of space because people run around,” says Rob. “We wanted to be reasonably central; we didn’t want to be too far outside of the city because we wanted to serve the entire city."
In August 2013, Brittany and Rob opened their doors to their first groups. “When we first opened, we had the bare minimum we needed, facilities wise," says Rob. "We added more and more things, as we figured out what people need.” That included more picnic tables, a briefing room and a mini-paintball area in the basement. “That allows us to do paintball for kids as young as eight, which is something that no one else does,” says Rob. “It uses smaller guns, smaller paintballs and slower speeds. And, the staff that do it are specifically trained to deal with younger kids. That has proved to be hugely popular, mostly for birthday parties.”
