Lessons from Sloomoo: How Joy Became a Scalable Business

Since opening in 2019, Sloomoo has expanded to five flagship locations, welcomed over 2 million guests, and built a thriving brand that bridges play, art, and inclusion.

In a recent episode of Signal, Sara sat down with hosts John Pendergrast and Tim Samson to share how she and her team transformed an unlikely idea into a scalable business — and what other attraction operators can learn from the journey.

1. Start with Connection (Darkness → Light)

Sloomoo’s origin wasn’t a business plan — it was a moment of connection.

Sara and her co-founder Karen Robinovitz turned shared trauma into resilience, discovering that slime created a rare space where kids, parents, and even siblings with different abilities could interact equally.

“We realized my older daughter… was playing equally with my typically developing daughter… That’s when we said we have to bring this everywhere.”

Takeaway for operators: Start with the emotional connection you want guests to feel, then build the experience around that.

2. Design for Adults as Much as Kids

While slime might hook kids instantly, Sara and Karen knew the real opportunity was elevating the design for adults.

“You could put slime in a trash can and kids would love it — but custom vats tell adults, this is for you.”

From custom-built vats to curving walls inspired by contemporary art, Sloomoo was intentionally designed to make adults feel this space is for them, too.

Takeaway for operators: Adult-first design expands the audience, increases spend, and encourages repeat visits — without losing kids’ enthusiasm.

3. Translate Digital Trends Into Analog Play

Slime may have gone viral online, but its real power is offline. By requiring both hands, slime pulls adults off their phones and back into play.

Exhibits like “Disco Slime” turn sensory content into full-body experiences, while guests are encouraged to put down their phones and engage hands-on.

“You have to use both hands — so you can’t be on your phone.”

Takeaway for operators: Don’t fight digital trends — reimagine them as real-world experiences that surprise and delight.

4. Scale with Purpose at the Core

Growth hasn’t come at the expense of values. Sloomoo employs a 10% neurodiverse workforce, builds spaces with accessibility in mind, and integrates mental wellness programming through partnerships like MindUP.

Guests notice the difference — and often return because they feel included.

‍“It’s super cool that you can have a profitable business and literally be doing good — giving people jobs who have no meaningful work.”

Sara calls it her “pay it forward project”: building a profitable business that also creates meaningful work and memorable experiences for people who are often overlooked.

Takeaway for operators: Inclusion and accessibility aren’t add-ons. They’re a competitive advantage that shapes culture, brand loyalty, and guest experience.

5. Think Beyond the Venue

From graphic novels to music albums to licensing opportunities overseas, Sloomoo is expanding its IP beyond the walls of its attractions.

“We’ve created the theme park — now we’re creating the movie studio.”

The strategy is deliberate: control the guest experience locally while growing brand awareness globally.

Takeaway for operators: Your attraction can be more than a physical space — it can be the foundation for media, merchandise, and community that extend the brand.

Final Word

Sloomoo proves that joy is more than a feeling — it’s a business model.

By grounding growth in connection, design, inclusion, and storytelling, Sara Schiller and her team have built an attraction that resonates far beyond slime.

For operators, the lesson is clear: when you scale joy, you scale loyalty.