Extreme trampoline park Defy Indianapolis to open in Castleton

A next-generation indoor trampoline park, Defy Indianapolis, is set to open any day now at 8356 Masters Road in Castleton.

The newly-built facility occupies 30,000 square feet and includes about 30 trampolines, along with a host of other activities. There’s a “stunt fall” area—a 10-foot-high platform from which customers can jump and land on a giant airbag. There’s a trapeze-and-swing area where customers can launch themselves into a foam pit. There’s a “battle beam” where friends can joust using padded sticks.

“We’re really an extreme aerosports facility,” said Greg Schofield, the facility’s general manager and operating partner. “Trampolines are just a small part of what we do.”

Schofield said the facility is set to open the first week in July, pending the results of a final city inspection. Defy Indianapolis is owned by Utah-based firm CircusTrix, which holds a large family of similar recreation facilities.

The target customers are teens, ages 13-17, Schofield said, although the company’s parks also attract children and young adults.  

Customers pay for either 60-, 90- or 120-minute time slots, with fees at $16, $21 and $25, respectively. Prices are reduced for children ages 6 and younger.

CircusTrix, founded in 2011, bills itself as the world’s largest developer, operator and franchisor of trampoline parks, with more than 300 parks and growing. 

CircusTrix has been in major growth mode in recent years. In December 2016, New-York based private investment firm Palladium Equity Partners LLC made what it called a “significant investment” in CircusTrix, although specific terms were not disclosed. At the time, CircusTrix had 30 or so parks.

Then, in April 2017, CircusTrix acquired California-based Rockin’ Jump Holdings LLC and its 39 parks. 

In February, CircusTrix acquired Sky Zone LLC and Sky Zone Franchise Group LLC, a Los Angeles-based trampoline park operator with 195 franchised and company-owned facilities, including three in the Indianapolis area: Fishers, Plainfield and the south side of Indianapolis.

Other local trampoline parks include Urban Air Park in Franklin, and Zip City at 6650 Bluff Road on the south side of Indianapolis.

In other retail news:

— Mississippi-based Newk’s Eatery opened its second Indianapolis-area eatery this week, at 9510 N. Meridian St.

Newk’s bills itself as a fast-casual restaurant, and its menu includes soups, salads, pizzas, toasted sandwiches and desserts.

In September 2016, the company announced it had partnered with Indy Eatery LLC to open a total of 15 Newk’s over the next few years. Indy Eatery LLC is co-owned by Stephen "Kent" Mabe and Mitias Garrett Investments LLC.

The area’s first Newk’s opened in October, at 1279 N. Emerson Ave. in Greenwood, just south of County Line Road.

—Amazon, which purchased Whole Foods Markets last year, just rolled out discounts to entice Amazon Prime members to shop at the natural-foods grocery.

Amazon now offers its Prime members a 10 percent discount on hundreds of sale items, at all Whole Foods stores, along with other discounts on select popular items.

The program began in mid-May and was expanded starting Wednesday to include all Whole Foods locations.

Another perk for local Prime members also started this week. Amazon Prime members in Indianapolis can get same-day delivery from Whole Foods through Amazon’s Prime Now service.

The delivery service is available daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Amazon promises deliveries in as little in one hour.

The service launched earlier this year and added five additional markets this week, including Indianapolis, Chicago, Houston, Minneapolis and San Antonio. The service is now available in 19 cities, with additional markets to be added throughout 2018.

—Kroger is investing $1.7 million to upgrade its store at 7101 E. 10th St., with a heavy focus on increasing the store’s ready-to-eat food offerings.

The store will expand its selection of coffee service and grab-and-go items and will add ready-to-serve pizza, a “culinary kiosk” that features hot and cold prepared foods, and new and faster chicken fryers, Kroger spokesman Eric Halvorson told IBJ.

As part of the project, Halvorson said, the store will go through a “space optimization” process that will allow the store to use its space more efficiently and stock a broader range of products.

—The Fashion Mall at Keystone, operated by Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group, says four of its retail tenants will remodel or expand their stores this summer.

Altar’d State is expanding into an adjacent space, and Johnston and Murphy will temporarily relocate to a space near the Nordstrom parking garage while its store undergoes remodeling. J. Jill and Talbots will undergo what Simon calls “minor in-store refreshes” that will not disrupt normal business operations.

The mall also announced that a Sola Salon will open this fall on the second floor of the Nordstrom court.