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. As a new franchise opportunity, Rado said he was working with a franchise consultant who introduced him to the company.

This isn’t Rado’s first entrepreneurial attempt. He’s also the owner of two The Now Massage shops in Dallas — one on Lower Greenville, a block north of the Granada Theater, and the other on Lemmon Avenue, a block from Whole Foods.

“What I liked about both companies is they disrupt, challenge the status quo and give people another option,” he said.

Comparing The Now Massage to other massage chains like Massage Envy, he said the other chains are more clinical. Enter one of his shops and you’ll escape Dallas.

“It’s like being on a beach in Tulum,” he said. “The Now Massage gives you a sensory experience.”

And Balloon Kings offers customer service rather than just having customers order off of a website. “There’s a creative element,” he said. “Customers have a more positive experience.”

Rado said all of his previous experience has built to the opening of his latest venture.

He grew up in Omaha, Neb., and attended Babson College in Boston, majoring in economics and entrepreneurial studies.

Since then, he has worked as a buyer at Filenes and then at Macy’s in San Francisco and New York. About 16 years ago, he moved to Dallas where he was the global brand manager for one of Fossil’s product lines and was vice president of business development.

“Every position I’ve had, I’ve run a business,” he said. “When I left Fossil, I decided to run my own business. All my experiences have come together — I know the retail side, the wholesale side, marketing, financial.”

His company is showing steady growth. In 2020, he signed his first franchise agreement, and he opened his first The Now Massage in 2021.

The Lemmon Avenue location opened in 2023.

He said his biggest decision this year was whether to open a third massage location or open something new. With a third location, he’d extend his reach in the massage market. With a new brand, he could stay in the same area and draw from an existing customer base.

New brand won out, and he’s expecting an early September opening. His kickoff, however, is Aug. 26 exhibiting at Partyfest at Market Center Hall. The trade show is for the Dallas-Fort Worth area professional event planning industry.

Then on Sept. 5, he’ll have booths for both Balloon Kings and The Now Massage at the Katy Trail 5K. And he’s working with the Cedar Springs Merchants Association, doing décor for the Met Gala at S4.

With all of these events, how does he keep the businesses running?

“I’m more the driver of the business,” Rado said. He has a manager and staff in each retail location, and he concentrates on the marketing and finances.

Balloon Kings will be located at 2408 N. Haskell Ave. The Now Massage is at 3614 Greenville Ave. and 4428 Lemmon Ave.