Elsy Nguyen and Siriya Feigenbaum
Backgrounds:
Sisters Elsy and Siriya have been part of the hospitality industry since childhood. Growing up in Thailand, their family operated hotels, and as a result, the girls learned the importance of customer service very early on. Upon emigrating to America, their family opened a restaurant, and the sisters came to realize the most important things about operating a business were 1) customer satisfaction is key and 2) the importance of a strong work ethic and how everyone plays an integral part in a successful business –.
They continue to apply these lessons throughout their professional careers, and recently at Scooter’s Jungle Simi Valley –showing patrons an amazing time with a personal touch is key to a thriving business. .
Both Elsy and Siriya have lived in Simi Valley for more than a decade and are very involved in their community. The two of them are active on the PTA for their children’s schools and have chaired various events and served as board members. Elsy’s husband Kyle has coached their son’s basketball teams for five seasons, and Siriya’s husband Ray has served as a Cub Scout den leader for the past four years.
Previous to opening Scooter’s Jungle, Elsy practiced estate-planning law, and Siriya served as an accountant/bookkeeper.
Why Scooter’s Jungle:
“When visiting Scooter’s Jungle for the first time, we were so impressed with the great time that the kids had and how connected the staff was to everyone that came through the doors. There was such an emphasis on customer service, and staffers were constantly asking us ‘how are you?’ ‘Are your kids having fun?’ ‘Are YOU having fun?’ Independently, we had thought how great it would be to have a place like Scooter’s Jungle in Simi since there really isn’t a place for kids to have a fun, safe time or a distinctive birthday party. We also love that Scooter’s Jungle’s focus is on being active, so the facility is completely free of video and electronic games; plus the cleanliness is unmatched. The uniqueness of Scooter’s Jungle paired with their incredible customer service is really what sealed the deal for us.”
Goals:
“Short-term, of course we want to be successful, but we also really want to establish the business as part of our community and continue to be involved not only as parents but also as business owners. We aim to establish Scooter’s Jungle as the neighborhood destination for parties, fundraisers, team bonding events and more. Long term, we’d be open to operating additional Scooter’s Jungle locations.”
Challenges:
“Obviously getting the location up and open has been the first hurdle to overcome. Between the permits, inspections and construction, it’s definitely an undertaking, but we are confident that we will open in November. In the end, we are so fortunate that our first location is in the City of Simi Valley, where the response has been supportive and full of encouragement!”
Fun Fact:
Elsy’s nine-year-old son has requested employment to be the “official pizza tester at Scooter’s Jungle” with a salary of $1 per year.