Why Lightbridge Academy is Targeting Northern Virginia-Washington D.C. as a Hot Market for Franchise Development
Why Lightbridge Academy is Targeting Northern Virginia-Washington D.C. as a Hot Market for Franchise Development
Lightbridge Academy, a leading early childhood education and child care franchise with nearly 70 open units, is keenly focusing on expansion in the Northern Virginia-Washington D.C. area. Recognizing the region as a “breakthrough market,” the brand’s Chief Development Officer, Craig Murray, highlighted the high demand for quality educational child care in the area, emphasizing the needs of working families.
Currently, three Lightbridge Academy centers are under construction in Northern Virginia. However, the brand sees potential for at least 10 more centers throughout the region, spanning locations from Alexandria to Leesburg, including Manassas, Woodbridge, Ashburn, and Chantilly.
Mojy and Afshin Afsharnia, a husband-and-wife franchisee team, recently signed a two-unit deal in Northern Virginia. They expressed enthusiasm about joining the Lightbridge Academy family, noting the significant demand for child care in the area. With many parents facing waitlists at other centers, the Afsharnias are eager to offer a much-needed service to the community.
To expedite the expansion process, Lightbridge Academy has adopted a new strategy: proactively leasing real estate sites at the corporate level before signing franchise owners. This approach, leveraging the brand’s development partnerships, aims to reduce the traditional two-year timeframe for opening a child care center. It offers potential franchisees the opportunity to open centers immediately upon signing in specific markets while also providing landlords with a guarantee.
Murray emphasized the brand’s multi-pronged approach to real estate and expressed eagerness to collaborate with franchise owners who resonate with the Circle of Care philosophy, aiming to serve the growing families in the Northern Virginia-Washington D.C. region.