Big Play has big expansion in the works

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - Changes can be seen along the Biloxi strip along Highway 90 at Veterans Avenue. The Big Play Entertainment Center is growing once again. The company has spent $7 million on improvements since 2010, and more are on the way.

Business is revving up these days at Big Play. So much so, a new $500,000 laser tag center just opened.

“Well, we’re always looking for the next newest attraction, and laser tag appeals to a very wide audience, and everything we try and do is bring as many people in as possible. So we thought this was a logical fit," said Brandon Wooldridge, general manager.

Soon to come is a $7 million RV park with 100 spaces, and the company bought the old VFW post to use as an event center, which means Big Play is on a roll.

All of this expansion means new jobs, now up to 95, according to Wooldridge.

“Our biggest investment is in our employees, and we’ve had people who have been here since they were 15, they’re out of college now, still working for us and as we continue to grow, more opportunities grow and higher paying jobs," he said.

One of those new jobs belongs to John Grandberry.

“The job means everything to me," Grandberry said. "And about the job, I like working with the kids and having fun with the kids.”

Perhaps the thing that Wooldridge is most proud of is something that hasn’t been here on the coast for many, many years. That is something for families, for children to do, and he’s brought that once again after Hurricane Katrina destroyed just about everything.

”The coast as a whole, trying to grow the market and grow the type of customer we have to have, we have to have things for families to do," Wooldridge said.

The Collins family agrees. Tricia is the grandmother.

“I think it’s a great place to take the kids. I have to bring my grandchildren here today, and we’re playing golf right now, and they want to play laser tag. We’ll have to talk about that," she said.

However, Big Play and Wooldridge aren’t resting on their laurels.

“As you can see, we’re all kind of big kids at heart here and really enjoy the development process and building Big Play, and I don’t see it stopping anytime soon," Wooldridge said.

Company officials hope to have the new RV park up and running in time for Cruisin’ the Coast in October.

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