LSI Seizing Dvlp. Interest to Grow ‘Jellystone’ Brand

By: Ben Quiggle | Published on: Aug 18, 2021

It has been a year of growth for Leisure Systems Inc. (LSI) the franchisor of more than 75 Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts in North America.

The growing chain of parks has recently been recognized as a “Top Global” franchise by Entrepreneur, as well as being listed as a “Top Franchise” by Entrepreneur and Franchise Business Review. It has also been named a Top Franchise for Women, a Top Recession-Proof Business and Jellystone Parks made Franchise Business Review’s “Culture 100” list.

Besides all of the accolades, LSI has also found success as it makes a westward push — intent on expanding its reach and introducing more campers to the Jellystone brand.

LSI recently signed a franchise agreement with High Mesa Partners LLC to open a new Jellystone Park in Parachute, Colo. Along with that announcement, LSI also noted that a new Jellystone Park an hour west of Knoxville, Tenn., is set to open in 2022. The development is being completed by The Jenkins Organization, which currently owns four Jellystone Parks.

There are also commitments to build Jellystone Parks in Las Vegas, Nev. and Hurricane, Utah, along with conversions of independent parks in Cape Cod, Mass., northern Pennsylvania and near St. Louis, Mo.

“In the past, we met with investors that were kicking the tires, now they are banging down our doors,” noted Jim Westover, LSI’s vice president of product development and sales. “It’s really created competition out there to buy up the good performing, large parks that have expansion capability. We have a lot of new builds also coming into the system and we’ve had a lot of folks come in from the hotel industry specifically trying to diversify their portfolio.

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