The Maine Jump
coming to Aroostook Centre Mall
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — The Aroostook Centre Mall will have a new tenant open for business in the near future, with the addition of The Maine Jump, owned by Jenna and Sean Spoto.
THE MAINE JUMP will be opening at the Aroostook Centre Mall in Presque Isle in the near future. Pictured are owners Jenna and Sean Spoto, with their daughters, 4-year-old Izabelah and 2-year-old Marleigh. 
The Spotos are looking forward to helping create memorable moments, be it a birthday party or other special event.
Following the Bangor branch’s visit to Presque Isle, the Spotos began looking into opening a branch of their own to provide families a place for children to have fun in a safe environment that was closer to home.
“We had always played around with the idea of how much fun it would be to bring something like this to The County. When we heard they were coming to the Forum, I decided to e-mail the owner asking him some questions. It all took off from there — from e-mails to phone meetings to eventually sitting down in person with the Hatch family to discuss options of us bringing The Maine Jump to The County,” said Jenna Spoto.
Spoto said she and her husband, Sean, have considered doing something like this for some time now.
“The push came last year when I was looking for something different to do for my daughter’s fourth birthday. We had a fantastic birthday party at the Braden Theater, but then we had another birthday party to plan the following month and were stumped at what to do. Sean and I have been talking for a while about how wonderful this would be for Aroostook County,” said Spoto.
“Our goal has always been to create a fun, safe environment that promotes physical activity and family togetherness and that is what we are trying to do,” continued Spoto.
Spoto said the planning phase has been exciting.
“We have so many different ideas to keep things fun and fresh. I cannot wait to get things going. We have different ideas to reach many different age groups. Activities at The Maine Jump can be done at any point throughout the year — in rain, sleet, snow or sun,” Spoto said.
Having children of their own, Spoto said finding a family-friendly business to open was a priority.
“We have two little girls, Izabelah who is 4 and Marleigh who is 2. We wanted to do something that we could involve our two little ones and that we could grow as a family and this is perfect. They enjoy going to The Maine Jump and get excited when we talk about it,” she said.
The girls have been involved in the process since the beginning stages.
“They have been a part of this process from Day One and have been there with us every step of the way. I overhear them talking to one another from time to time about how they own their own bounce houses. When I get home from work, they usually ask me when we are going to The Maine Jump,” said Spoto, noting she and Sean have taken their daughters to The Maine Jump downstate prior to the Hatch family opening it.
“We visit the Bangor location frequently; it’s a great place for them to burn some energy on long car rides. When The Maine Jump came to the Forum, we helped the Hatch family in any way we could while they were here. We attended the event with our children, but also helped at the registration table and taking down the equipment,” Spoto said.
The couple looked at several sites before deciding to go into the mall.
“We chose the mall for a couple of reasons. We had searched for a location and there was always something missing or that didn’t meet our needs — whether it be parking or ceiling height. We talked with Patti and found two spaces that we have made into one that fit our needs. From parking to ceiling height, to square footage, it was our best option. It is a known location and we are hoping that our business will draw and bring some families into the mall,” she said.
The facility is over 9,000 square feet, with a birthday party room, kitchen, dining area, small parent lounge area and of course the bounce equipment.
“We will have five, possibly six, bounce houses, depending on space, including obstacle courses and slides. We will have video games, a birthday party room and will have a kitchen with hotdogs, pizza, popcorn, cotton candy, nachos, slushies, french fries and the list goes on. We offer free WiFi and coffee for parents,” said Spoto.
The pricing is $9 Wednesday through Friday and $10 on Saturday and Sunday for unlimited jump; 2 years and under, if playing, are $6 for all days.
“Age limits are 12 and under, but eventually we are looking to offer Teen Nights and other special events to target 12 and up,” she said.
Spoto said those interested in learning more, “can follow us on Facebook, The Maine Jump — Presque Isle, to watch the progress and keep updated on all we have to offer.”
“We are not really sure how many staff we will need at this time. We have started the interviewing process and are looking to employ between 10-15 staff members and will adjust once we see how things are going to progress,” said Spoto.
Business hours will be: Monday and Tuesday, closed but available for special events or field trips; Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“We are so excited to share this opportunity with everyone and are hoping that we can share this excitement with others that visit our facility,” she said.
Spoto credits the support of loved ones for making this business venture possible.
“We have amazing friends and family who have been there to help whenever we’ve needed it. We could not do this without their help. We have worked hard and cannot wait until we can see all of the smiling faces,” said Spoto.
Spoto said work is being completed at the site and she expects the business to be open in the near future. If anyone has any questions or would like to book a birthday party or special event, they can call Spoto at 768-1290.
