Chess-Focused Concept Opens in Dubai, Awards New U.S. Territories, and Prepares to Launch in London

OMAHA, Neb., Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Harlan Alford and Jon Sieber created StoryTime Chess in 2011 with one simple goal: teach young kids chess, but in a way that hasn’t been done before. Now, Alford and Sieber are accelerating the expansion of their concept through a partnership with Franchise FastLane, the leading franchise sales organization.

Before founding StoryTime Chess, Alford spent years pursuing theater and the arts in New York, working at a writing school and surrounding himself with fellow creatives. Sieber spent time in the insurance industry and eventually sold his agency to pursue his own passion for children’s theater in New York, where he hoped to bring the same kind of imaginative storytelling he loved as a kid. It was there that Sieber and Alford met, and their shared creative instincts would lead to the creation of StoryTime Chess and its unique curriculum.

Rather than rigid, rules-first instruction, Alford and Sieber replaced the traditional approach to teaching kids chess with imaginative stories and characters. Operating as a mobile youth enrichment brand, they have creatives such as writers, comedians, and actors serve as the instructors. Through focusing on storytelling, children as young as three are able to learn a complex game while discovering strategy, sportsmanship, and life lessons along the way.

Paul Levy joined StoryTime Chess as CEO in 2024 and has been leading the brand’s growth into new markets. The concept now has 22 franchisees and 43 territories awarded to date, including recent awards in Orlando, Maryland, Tulsa, and the Bay Area. StoryTime Chess also continues to grow internationally, with locations in Singapore and Hong Kong, a recently opened location in Dubai, and London opening in a month.

“Harlan and Jon reimagined what it means to teach a child chess,” said Paul Levy, CEO of StoryTime Chess. “For too long, this game felt out of reach for young kids, taught by intimidating instructors in a way that squeezed out all the joy. We’ve flipped that on its head. Our stories, our characters, and our creators all make chess feel like play, not homework. Every child deserves the chance to fall in love with this game and partnering with Franchise FastLane is how we bring that experience to families everywhere.”

StoryTime Chess already has strong relationships with several early childhood providers, including The Goddard School, Kiddie Academy, Learning Care Group, Lightbridge Academy, and Spring Education, which can give franchisees an established network to lean on as they enter new markets.

“As a mother of three, I know how important it is to have enrichment programs for your kids starting at an early age,” said Heather Harris, CEO of Franchise FastLane. “The moment I saw what Harlan, Jon, and Paul built with StoryTime Chess, I understood why families keep coming back. They took an activity that might seem like a chore to children and turned it into a story that brings smiles to their faces. I’m so proud to have StoryTime Chess join Franchise FastLane, and I’m looking forward to seeing this concept make its way to every community.”

As the leading franchise development company, Franchise FastLane provides comprehensive support designed to help franchisors grow with clarity and confidence. Its services include franchise formation, franchise sales and development, territory checks, lead registration, marketing, compliance oversight, operational support through its proprietary tech stack and collaboration with franchise consultants. This full-service approach helps franchisors access the tools, systems and strategies they need to expand effectively while staying focused on building strong franchisee relationships. 

Partners also gain access to Franchise FastLane’s MasterMind program, which brings franchisors together for collaborative conversations focused on operational improvement, franchisee support and long-term growth. These sessions create space for open discussion, shared learning and both professional and personal development among franchise leaders. 

To find additional information about Franchise FastLane and its services, please visit FranchiseFastLane.com. 

About Franchise FastLane: 
Franchise FastLane is the franchise industry’s leading growth platform, trusted by emerging brands across the country to launch, build, and scale their franchise systems. Since launching in 2017, it has helped award more than 10,000 franchise units and placed over 3,900 entrepreneurs into franchise ownership, changing lives and communities along the way. Franchise FastLane has also been named a Top Supplier in Entrepreneur Magazine‘s Franchise Consulting/Development category for eight consecutive years. 

Franchise FastLane believes growth should be intentional. That’s why brands can now choose from three distinct levels of franchise development: hands-on coaching and training alongside their in-house development teams, fractional development support, or traditional full-service development. This flexible, three-tiered approach allows franchisors to grow exactly how they want, matched to their resources, goals, and stage of development, all backed by Franchise FastLane’s proven process and technology. 

About StoryTime Chess:
Since 2011, Story Time Chess has made it possible for young kids to master tricky subjects like chess, all through the power of storytelling.

Founded and headquartered In New York City, Story Time Chess’s 400+ tutors have taught over 50,000 students to date and partnered with more than 600 schools. Today, Story Time Chess offers a range of programs, all based on the unifying principle that children can learn anything through fun, well-crafted stories. In Singapore, these include chess for ages three and up, playgroups for infants as young as six months old, and role-playing games for children of school-going age.

Media Contact: Ethan Gutstein, Fishman Public Relations, egutstein@fishmanpr.com , or 847-945-1300

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SOURCE Franchise FastLane