From zero to five WARPOINT parks in two years

About the partner

Sergey Sudarik came into business from retail: first he worked as a sales representative, then opened a franchise store.

WARPOINT became a project in a field new to him. Sergey had no VR experience, but he quickly fell in love with the product and dived into the business processes. He opened his first park in Arkhangelsk, investing $60K and reaching payback in 9 months.

I played for 2 minutes and asked «where do I sign?»

Sergey, multi-unit WARPOINT franchisee

How the launch went

Opening in Arkhangelsk

A colleague from a previous job told Sergey about WARPOINT: before that conversation he knew nothing about virtual reality or VR technology in entertainment. He decided to fly to Yekaterinburg and try the product — two minutes into the game Sergey decided to sign the franchise agreement. Right after playing he started looking for premises. Arkhangelsk became the first of five locations.

Refurbishment and opening

In November 2022 Sergey began the search for premises, and in March the first WARPOINT park in Arkhangelsk had its grand opening. Finding the space, the refurbishment, the launch and setting up the processes took four months. That is fast, considering it covered the works, the design project drawings, the property search and hiring the staff.

At first things did not go well: I applied the marketing and process experience from retail and from my second franchise, and it did not work. I should have used different channels from the start, ones that suit a VR business.

Sergey, multi-unit WARPOINT franchisee

Opening the next parks

Originally from St Petersburg, Sergey considered opening WARPOINT in cities he had visited or whose «real life» he could roughly picture.

The first opening was timed for 8 March. We acted on retail experience, which turned out to be irrelevant for WARPOINT, and started using the tools the management company suggested. In 2022 Instagram* was declared an extremist social network, and the main channel for generating customers fell away. We had to do more than simply use methods other than retail's — we had to find channels from scratch: the market changed very fast, and we looked for the answer together with the management company.

Sergey's locations

• Arkhangelsk — first location, 2022
• Murmansk — second location, 2023
• Petrozavodsk — third location, 2023
• Arkhangelsk 2 — fourth location, 2024
• Minsk — fifth location, 2024

Sergey calls the later openings «technically simple»: the same contractors, familiar processes, a proven product and marketing. Only the city changes. Using his own formula — a population of over a million, a personal liking for the city and no other WARPOINT partners there — Sergey at some point went beyond Russia and began looking at neighbouring countries. That is how the idea of a park in Minsk appeared.

The flagship WARPOINT PARK opened in October 2024 in Minsk: an ARENA, a VR STATION, EXTREME and lounge zones. Investment — $360K, payback — 14 months.

The partner's best practices

Sergey shared his experience, and we put together a list of practices that will help you grow your VR park.

• The team comes first. Sergey assembled his bit by bit across his whole entrepreneurial path and today considers a strong team the main factor of success.
• Ambitious goals. Sergey cannot stand still — setting goals and reaching them matters to him. Without moving forward it simply is not interesting.
• Advertising without pauses. Systematic work without squeezing the budget, especially in targeted ads on VKontakte.
• Comfort without compromise. Clean, convenient, good-looking, and a team that talks to you in a way that makes you want to come back. Customers feel at home.
• Brand recognition. In Arkhangelsk WARPOINT became an eponym in its niche: the brand is so recognisable that many people call any VR entertainment «a warpoint» — even when it is not WARPOINT.
• Working with reviews. Every review is watched: the team reads everything and always acts on the feedback.
• Control over the processes. Service has to be strong at every stage — from the first touch to the repeat visit.
• Experience from the previous business. Sergey applies it in management, hiring and dealing with customers.
• Strong managers. Not just administrators, but people who come up with promotions themselves and know how to market the park without prompting.
• Delegation. The key to scaling: without a strong manager it is simply impossible to open a second, third and further parks.
• The owner's role. Sergey is responsible for strategy, development and control by his own criteria, while the manager handles operations — fully immersed in the business processes.

A piece of the interview: the main advice

— How do you make WARPOINT the name on everyone's lips so it works for you?

— Working hand in hand with the management company is an essential part of success. Every partner has a manager, and together with them you have to build the funnel: use the ready-made content, run advertising, understand the customer journey. People come for the game but stay because of the service — and return when expectations are exceeded.

— Is it worth «listening to» the management company?

— Of course, the management company gives you experience — proven decisions, tools, approaches. But it is important not just to copy it, rather to adapt it to your city. And to think for yourself too :)

Don't be afraid to start. Use the management company's experience, but be sure to adapt it to your city. And most importantly — build a strong team and don't let go of control. Then everything will work out.

Sergey's advice for future franchisees

Sergey's story is an example of how to build a scalable business without any VR experience. His parks have become part of the local culture, and he himself a strong partner within the WARPOINT network.

* Instagram is a product of Meta, an organisation recognised as extremist in Russia.