The Slime Kitchen

What The Slime Kitchen does

The Slime Kitchen is an experiential retail franchise operating guided, hands-on DIY slime-making stores in shopping malls across the United States. Founded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic by former Apple and eBay executive Kathy Ando, the company opened its first brick-and-mortar Bay Area location in 2022 and began franchising shortly thereafter. As of 2026, the business operates approximately 19 stores across 8 states (California, Nevada, Iowa, Oregon, Florida, Kentucky, and South Carolina), with additional locations under development. Primary customers are families with children ages 5-12 seeking screen-free creative activities, complemented by corporate event clients, teens and adults using slime for sensory play, and franchise entrepreneurs.

The core product is a 10-step guided slime-making experience in which customers select from six proprietary base textures (Clear, Classic, Thick & Glossy, Cloud, Butter, Icee), over 30 scent profiles, colors, glitter, and mix-ins, producing a 6-oz customized slime in approximately 25 minutes. Supporting offerings include tiered birthday party packages (Tablespoon and Full Cup), themed workshops (Mad Scientist, Boba Bar, Cinnamon Roll, Lava Lamp), corporate event services, and an e-commerce storefront selling pre-made themed collections (Viral Snacks, K-Pop, Soccer Stars, A'lotl Love), D.I.Y. Slime Kits ($35.99), branded merchandise, and slime supplies, with retail prices ranging from $2.99 to $68.00.

Revenue is generated from per-head DIY experience fees ($25-$30), birthday party base fees plus per-guest pricing, retail product sales, corporate event contracts, and franchise economics comprising a $45,000 initial fee plus 7% ongoing royalties. Distribution is concentrated in mall properties such as Fashion Show Las Vegas, Stonestown Galleria, Hillsdale Mall, Oakridge Mall, and Coral Ridge Mall. The Slime Kitchen is privately held, founder-owned, and reports 200%+ annual franchise system growth with no disclosed institutional funding. California is excluded from franchise territories, indicating corporate stores retain ownership in the home market.

Name

The Slime Kitchen

Legal name

The Slime Kitchen

Website

https://theslimekitchen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Slime Kitchen is a mall-based experiential retail franchise operating approximately 19 DIY slime-making stores across 8 US states. Founded in 2020, it serves families with children ages 5-12 through a proprietary 10-step guided slime-creation process, birthday parties, themed workshops, and e-commerce retail sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Redwood City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices19 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. DIY Slime Experiences: Customers pay to participate in a guided 25-minute slime-making session where they create custom slime. This is the core experiential revenue stream, priced at $25-$30 per person depending on location.
2. Birthday Party Packages: Private party experiences with dedicated slime guides, custom party favors, and slime-making activities. Packages include base fees plus per-guest pricing ($25-$50 per chef depending on package and location).
3. Retail Slime Products: Pre-made slime products sold in-store and online, including themed collections (Viral Snacks, Soccer Stars, K-Pop Collection), individual slimes, and DIY kits. Prices range from $15.99 to $68.00.
4. Corporate Events & Workshops: Customizable off-site experiences for corporate team-building, brand activations, and school programs. Pricing varies based on group size and custom requirements.
5. Franchise Revenue: Initial franchise fee of $45,000 plus ongoing 7% royalty payments from franchisees. The company reports 200%+ annual growth in the franchise system.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Slime Kitchen operates mall-based experiential retail studios where guests follow a proprietary 10-step guided process to create custom slime, choosing from six base textures and 30+ scents. The company also sells pre-made retail slime collections, DIY at-home kits, and branded merchandise through its own stores and e-commerce shop, and licenses its concept through a franchise program.

Product overview

The Slime Kitchen is a experiential retail franchise offering hands-on slime-making experiences. The core product is the DIY Slime Experience (a 10-step guided in-store process) supported by Birthday Party Packages and Themed Workshops. The business operates retail stores where customers create custom slime by selecting from six base textures, 30+ scents, colors, glitter, and mix-ins. Complementing the experiential offering is an e-commerce store selling pre-made retail slimes (individual products and themed collections like Viral Snacks, Soccer Stars, A'lotl Love, K-Pop, Level Up, Drink Up, By The Blue Water), D.I.Y. Slime Kits for at-home use, slime supplies (activator, remover, jars), and branded merchandise (Slime Sippers tumblers, Jr. Chef Aprons, Slime Stars plush toys, Croc Jibbitz). The company also offers Corporate & Event Services for team-building and brand activations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DIY Slime Experience
• Walk-In Slime
• Birthday Party Packages
• Themed Workshops
• Corporate & Event Services
• Slime Kitchen Franchise Program
• Viral Snacks Collection
• Soccer Stars Collection
• A'lotl Love Collection
• The K-Pop Collection
• D.I.Y. Slime Kit
• Individual Retail Slimes
• Blind Boxes
• Branded Merchandise
• Slime Supplies

Quantifiable outcome

• Average 4.9 star rating across all locations based on customer reviews
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 1851 Franchise MagazineminorGTM or Marketing Partner1851 Franchise Magazine featured Slime Kitchen in their list of fastest-growing emerging franchises of 2026, providing editorial coverage and industry recognition that supports franchise marketing efforts.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sloomoo Institute: Sloomoo Institute operates slime-focused experiential retail stores in major U.S. cities, offering hands-on slime-making, sensory play, and themed attractions. It is the most direct competitor to Slime Kitchen's DIY slime experience concept.
• Color Me Mine: Color Me Mine is a franchise-based experiential retail concept offering walk-in ceramic painting in shopping centers. Comparable to Slime Kitchen in mall-based experiential model, family/kid customer base, and franchise expansion structure.
• Painting with a Twist: Painting with a Twist is the largest paint-and-sip franchise in the U.S., offering guided art experiences for groups. Comparable in experiential retail format, franchise model, and group/party revenue focus.
• Kidcreate Studio: Kidcreate Studio is a franchise offering art and creative classes for children, including slime-making, painting, and craft workshops. Directly comparable to Slime Kitchen in child-focused creative retail, franchise model, and birthday party offerings.
• AR Workshop: AR Workshop is a franchise offering DIY home decor workshops (wood signs, canvas, etc.) in boutique locations. Comparable to Slime Kitchen in hands-on creative workshop format, franchise expansion model, and women's lifestyle customer base.
• Pinspiration: Pinspiration is a franchise offering DIY craft and art experiences (paint, wood signs, jewelry) in upscale boutique locations. Comparable to Slime Kitchen in experiential family retail, franchise model, and creative customization offering.
• Board & Brush Creative Studio: Board & Brush is a franchise offering guided DIY wood sign and home decor workshops with on-site beverage service. Comparable in experiential retail, franchise growth model, and party/event revenue.
• Build-A-Bear Workshop: Build-A-Bear is a publicly traded experiential retailer where customers create and customize their own stuffed animals in mall-based stores. Closely comparable to Slime Kitchen's mall-based, guided DIY customization model, though operating at much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Sweetology: Sweetology is an experiential retail concept where customers create their own candy and dessert treats. Comparable to Slime Kitchen in DIY hands-on creation experience, family/kid focus, and retail-based model, though operating in a different product category.
• Candlefish: Candlefish is a specialty candle retailer offering custom candle-pouring workshops in boutique retail locations. Comparable to Slime Kitchen in experiential customization retail, sensory product positioning, and adult/teen appeal for hands-on creative activities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/official_theslimekitchen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-slime-kitchen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Slime Kitchen