A reluctant goodbye, an easy return: NIKITO’s journey back to ROLLER

NIKITO operates four multi-attraction family entertainment centers across the greater Paris region, offering guests an enormous range of activities from bowling and go-karting to trampoline parks, laser tag, and escape rooms. Founded as the French joint venture of SkyZone, the global trampoline park franchise, NIKITO has grown into one of the most ambitious FEC operators in Europe. 

Hugo Perpere, Founder and CEO at NIKITO, first used ROLLER when the business launched in 2020. The platform's ease of use and modern architecture made it an immediate fit, particularly for managing the hundreds of birthday parties NIKITO hosts each week. But when French fiscal compliance requirements tightened, ROLLER's roadmap didn't yet include the necessary localizations, and NIKITO was forced to migrate away.

"When we had to leave ROLLER, it was just like a heartbreaker for us," Hugo recalls. "We were extremely happy with the product. We were just forced to quit because it was too risky not to have the compliance."

Keeping the door open

Rather than move on, Hugo kept in close contact with ROLLER's leadership over the following three years, regularly checking on the platform's French compliance and localization plans. The experience of switching to a competing system only confirmed what NIKITO had lost by leaving ROLLER.

"That's where we really realized how great ROLLER was: when we left," Hugo explains. "With the new system, it was pretty complicated. None of the memberships worked the way we needed."

Hugo Perpere

CEO

The return to ROLLER

When ROLLER confirmed its plans to complete French fiscal compliance and build out full French language support in 2026, Hugo moved quickly. NIKITO became the first French operator to sign, and pushed the implementation through in under three months across all four venues.

The difference was most apparent in day-to-day operations. With ROLLER, adjusting a party booking (for example, dropping from 11 guests to 10) means a single refund action inside the platform. Without that payment integration, staff previously had to navigate a separate payment provider system to process every refund manually.

"100% of our staff members prefer ROLLER to the previous system. That's a good start. It makes their job easier."

Hugo Perpere

CEO

What set ROLLER apart 

Hugo points to four areas where ROLLER stood apart from anything else NIKITO evaluated.

Memberships that match NIKITO’s complexity

ROLLER’s membership system is sophisticated enough to handle the complexity of a multi-venue operator with hundreds of active members across locations.

A checkout experience built for mobile 

Hugo describes ROLLER’s online checkout as  mobile-first and far clearer for guests than what NIKITO had been using. 

Guest feedback that drives daily decisions

ROLLER’s guest surveys and GX Score have become a daily management tool. Venue managers review customer feedback scores each morning, using real-time responses to keep teams focused on the guest experience. 

An API that powers custom workflows 

The feature Hugo returns to most is ROLLER's API. NIKITO has used it to build a custom run sheet for party operations, pulling booking data directly into exactly the format the team needs, rather than working around a rigid system.

"Today, with AI, having software with a great API opens amazing possibilities. Our previous system didn't have integrations, and that's clearly a game changer. It's a huge thing for us."

Hugo Perpere

CEO

Looking ahead

NIKITO is also among the first operators to use ROLLER's bowling integration, which pulls customer booking data directly into the lane management system — so names appear on screens automatically rather than staff re-entering them manually. The karting integration is live in one venue as well.

For Hugo, the direction of travel matters as much as the current feature set.

"I personally think ROLLER is the best software on the market. You have a very robust product: secure, modern, no bugs. I'm extremely happy we were able to migrate, and I'm very confident that in the next two years the product will be even more awesome than today."

Hugo Perpere

CEO

Asked what he'd say to other operators considering the switch, Hugo paused, then smiled: "Take your time. Let us enjoy our advantage for a while."

About NIKITO

• Founded: 2020
• Location: France
• Number of locations: 4
• Venue type: Family Entertainment Center
• Website: https://nikito.com/