Category: Entertainment
Coming from: Mexico
Current stores: None
Planned openings: At least 15, including in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. The company plans to open its first U.S. venue by 2013.
Average store size: 75,000 sq. ft.
Target audience: Children aged four through 11.
Buzz: A smash overseas, Kidzania venues create a chance for kids to visit a make-believe city, complete with banks, department stores, fire houses and ambulances, where the tykes can role play. The company is looking for locations in class-A malls and has already started conversations with several mall REITs, according to Susan Kurland, executive vice president of brokerage services with CB Richard Ellis, who represents the brand in the United States.