Family says they throw the coolest parties around

BY DANIELLE MEDINA
Correspondent

PHOTOS BY MIGUEL JUAREZ Bob Tucci, owner of Club Cool, talks about the features of his party place. At right, Kaitlin Chirirco, 14, of Howell, and Nicholas Dawson, 10, of Toms River, enjoy a preview of the recently installed videogame machines. BRICK — Bob and Anna Tucci have a new recipe for birthday party success — take one children’s party center and spice it up with a dash of glamour, a pile of stuffed animals and two lovable characters.

Club Cool, which will celebrate its grand opening on April 9, is the Tuccis’ first family-owned and -operated children’s party and play center.

Located on Brick Boulevard in the newly renovated Value City Plaza, Club Cool has indoor play equipment, arcade games, a toddler play area and an open gym floor. In addition to the games, parents can choose to have glamour birthday parties for their little princesses, stuff-an-animal parties or craft parties. Other add-ons, like sand art, tattoos and design-a-frame, are also options to tailor the party to individual tastes.

“It’s a one-stop party place,” Bob Tucci said last week. “Our uniqueness is our diversification.”

The Tuccis came up with the idea for Club Cool and its two mascots, Cool and Coolette, in March 2004 after looking at a number of different children’s party and play franchises.

“No one had everything we wanted to do,” Bob Tucci said. “So we came up with our own idea, which mixes old-fashioned fun and games with modern elements.”

He said that once they had the basic idea, a logo design firm in Florida helped them create the mascots for Club Cool last August.

“From there we just jumped on it,” said Bob Tucci, who graduated from Drum Point Elementary School, Lake Riviera Middle School and Brick Township High School.

The Tuccis have spent the last seven months readying the 6,000-square-foot space for the grand opening, which was originally slated for February but was put off because of minor construction delays and the Jersey Central Power & Light strike.

“We booked over 100 parties for February and March, and we had to cancel 100 parties,” Bob Tucci said.

He said that most people booked their parties after receiving a brochure in the mail, and from that one mailing the response was “above what we expected.”

In addition to the parties, Club Cool will be open for regular playtime in the gym and arcade. Arts and crafts classes, “together classes” for parents and children, teen aerobics and teen dance nights are also planned.

“Having three daughters gave us a lot of ideas,” said Anna Tucci, who serves as Club Cool’s president.

“My 9-year-old daughter, Giana, said that Club Cool had taken her daddy away from her,” Bob Tucci added. “But my 12-year-old, Kaitlyn, wants a job here, and Bella, 3, wants to play.”

He said that in addition to Club Cool’s focus on fun, the family has also taken cleanliness and safety seriously.

“We have video surveillance cameras and security staff on-site at all times,” he said. “To ensure cleanliness, we chose special rubber flooring for the play area and also chose not to have any ball pits.”

Club Cool will also cater to parents, as well as children. They’ll have Parents Night Out, a designated time when parents can leave their children for supervised playtime. And at Club Cool, a café will serve up wrap sandwiches, panini and salads, in addition to kid-friendly pizza, chicken fingers and snacks.

“It’s a nice, healthy menu,” Bob Tucci said. “Everything is baked. There is no frying.”

As Club Cool’s grand opening nears, he said that he’s a little anxious but is looking forward to the big event. And he said he’s ready to start all over again by opening two more locations in New Jersey in the near future.

Club Cool’s grand opening festivities are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on April 19 and will include free game tokens for every child 12 and younger, giveaways, face painting and refreshments. Cool and Coolette will be making appearances at the event.

For details on Club Cool or to book a party, call (732) 920-9060 or visit www.clubcoolparties.com.