Getting into the balloon biz
Mark Rado, the Balloon King Mark Rado is expanding his retail empire with Balloon Kings DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer Taffet@DallasVoice.com Dallas business owner Mark Rado will soon spend another week in New York City learning everything he can about the balloon business before returning to Dallas to open his new store. “We’ll be the first [Balloon Kings] franchise location,” Rado said.
He explained that Balloon Kings started in New York on Broadway at 80th Street then expanded to a second location across the Hudson River in Englewood, N.J. “What makes us unique,” he said, including himself in the Balloon Kings growing network of shop, “is we have a storefront.” He explained customers can come in and select from an assortment of balloons to create arches, bouquets and garlands in all sizes of balloon décor.
Customers can come in and select colors and customize, he said. And the store will deliver seven days a week. “We’ll work with restaurants for balloon drops for larger events,” he said, adding that he expects to work with hotels and other catering facilities to make all sorts of parties — from weddings to bar mitzvahs, anniversary and birthday bashes and company events — more festive.
You might even see some of his arrays in the upcoming Pride in Dallas parade on Cedar Springs Road. Rado’s new store is located on Haskell Avenue near Central Expressway, across from Target.
