Making Memories: How Wheels and Thrills Creates Delights for Families with the Help of TEDC Creative Capital

Table of Contents:

A Lasting Love of Roller Rinks and Family Fun
Life Takes an Unexpected Turn
Experiencing the Small Business Roller Coaster
Funding the Rink’s Building and Beyond with a Flexible SBA Loan
Championing Community Fun for All Ages
Pursuing the Magic of Memory-Making

When Tammy Johnson sees children smiling and having a great time, it warms her heart. It reminds her why she is in business. As owner of Wheels and Thrills Family Entertainment Center in Owasso, she has served the community since the center opened in 2017. She loves watching local families make amazing memories that will last them a lifetime—thanks to a helping hand from TEDC Creative Capital.

A Lasting Love of Roller Rinks and Family Fun

Tammy and her husband, Robert, discovered their love for roller skating in their teen years when they worked at Ricks Rollerena in Owasso in the 1980s. “We just loved what we did. It was a lot of fun,” she says. Like many people in their shoes, they graduated from high school, got married, and moved on to other jobs. Tammy worked for the post office for 20 years.

But she held onto her love for skating, and when she retired, she wanted to stay active. That led her back to working at a skating rink, this time as the owner. Tammy and Robert ran a roller rink in Pryor from 2013 to 2016, and then they bought land in Owasso to build Wheels and Thrills.

One of the pluses of launching in Owasso was the community ties the Johnsons have. Tammy and her husband grew up and raised a family there. “We know many generations here,” Tammy says. “When the kids come in, I know their grandparents or their parents. That was one of the main joys of opening Wheels and Thrills here. It has brought so many memories back because we had not had a skating rink here for years.”

Life Takes an Unexpected Turn

Just as everything looked like smooth sailing, Tammy got thrown a curveball. She was diagnosed with breast cancer. While making business moves, she also had to navigate her health needs. Getting Wheels and Thrills up and running became a lengthy, complicated process—but one that kept Tammy motivated.

“After my diagnosis, Wheels and Thrills became my reason to keep going,” Tammy says. “It was my everything.” 

As Tammy and Robert worked on building a rink in Owasso, they dealt with the usual challenges involved in new construction. “The building process always takes longer than you think,” she says. “From the ground up, it was definitely a challenge.” 

Experiencing the Small Business Roller Coaster

The construction process involved complex and time-consuming technical aspects, such as obtaining building permits and other construction-related issues. Erecting a rink was a new experience for the Johnsons, as they’d never done it before.

“It was out of my realm of comfort,” Tammy says. “I much prefer doing the parties and having fun all day, so much more than the paperwork and all the technicalities.” Even after the building was complete, there have been ups and downs to work through—whether training new staff to roller skate or navigating the pandemic by hosting outdoor drive-thru parades and game events on Facebook.

But through it all, Wheels and Thrills has found its footing in the City of Owasso. And seeing the business go from dream to reality has been fantastic for Tammy. “It’s my perfect little world here,” she says.

Funding the Rink’s Building and Beyond with a Flexible SBA Loan

None of Wheels and Thrills’s current success would be possible without the rink. That’s where TEDC Creative Capital came into the picture. The Johnsons discovered what TEDC offers through the Small Business Administration (SBA).

“TEDC has just been amazing with helping us along the way with things that we need,” says Tammy. “Working with them is not a hard process at all. As long as we get the documentation to them that they need when they need it, everything seems to go fine. It’s real simple. And everybody’s so nice. We just reach out at any time we need anything.”

With the help of their SBA 504 loan through TEDC, Tammy and Robert have turned Wheels and Thrills into a massive facility where families can make great memories.

Championing Community Fun for All Ages

Since opening Wheels and Thrills in 2017 with TEDC’s help, Tammy says she has been steadily growing their clientele—literally, by teaching them roller skating from an early age. Their Tiny Tots program allows children under 6 to skate and play. The skating rink is a playground featuring interactive activities, a bounce house, an inflatable slide, a jungle gym, play cars, beach balls, and more.

“There’s so much here for them to do,” says Tammy. “They can jump from one thing to the other.” 

There are also plenty of events for all ages, including older children, teens, and adults. Wheels and Thrills offers laser tag and arcade games, including classic ones like Pac-Man and Galaga. There’s a restaurant area that serves tasty foods like Angus burgers, chicken sandwiches, fried mushrooms, Dippin’ Dots, funnel fries, and other fun foods. They even serve up corndogs hand-dipped in pepper-jack cheese—a fan favorite. 

Wheels and Thrills also host birthday parties and events for church groups and sports teams. They have activities and equipment appropriate for children with special needs. They also host adult nights, including a literal hole-in-the-wall bar, and regularly add new features to the facility. “There’s always something new for the community,” Tammy says.

Pursuing the Magic of Memory-Making

If Tammy could offer one piece of advice to entrepreneurs like her who are building their dreams, she says to follow what you love. “If you’re passionate about anything and it means something to you, then you can make it work,” she says.

“What I do here at Wheels and Thrills is a lot of fun, and I get to enjoy what I love. I just want families to come and make memories. That’s the big goal,” Tammy adds. “I just love making memories for people, especially after the cancer diagnosis. Life is just so fragile. People need to be happy and make good memories. It’s important.”

TEDC Creative Capital is a community development financial institution that promotes entrepreneurial growth through nontraditional, flexible financing options and educational opportunities for startups and small businesses throughout Oklahoma. TEDC aims to foster economic vitality by encouraging small businesses to thrive. Learn more about how the friendly, helpful team at TEDC can help you reach your entrepreneurial dreams.