Escape Rooms

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Does anybody here run an escape room business or is looking at starting one?

I was wondering what the market and business opportunity was like?

 

[Deleted member 59730]

Saw one just last week. What is it?

 

[wayzgoose]

Mine's called the "bathroom"! Only place I get any peace

 

[Financial-Modeller]

No constructive experience of running one, but was taken to one by a client as a teambuilding evening, which was fun.

Seemed like an easy business to operate, with minimal (unskilled) staff, a bit of space, and some props.

As a venture, the problem is everybody only goes once - there is no repeat business, and I imagine bookings / occupancy depletes once local footfall has visited it.

 

[Nico Albrecht]

I know the owner who runs 2 in the city centre of Belfast, NI as of now he is open from 10am to 11pm for 6 days / week and fully booked for next 2 months. He seems to do alright with them and owns a couple other business but he mentioned they are the most profitable ones.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

@atmosbob it's a real life adventure game where you to uncover hidden clues, crack tough codes, and solve challenging puzzles.

 

[Mark T Jones]

I'm actually desperate to be asked to finance one, just to get an insight to the financial model

As far as I can make out its relatively low cost to set up and run (perhaps why I haven't been asked)

No big shopfront
No fancy decor or equipment
Insurance presumably low
Minimal staffing

That's the big overheads covered!

I guess marketing is interesting, due to lack of visible presence and limited awareness of the concept

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

@Mark T Jones I think the good ones do have fancy decor and equipment, but right on the other bits!

 

[Deleted member 59730]

it's a real life adventure game where you to uncover hidden clues, crack tough codes, and solve challenging puzzles.

I get enough of that just dealing with life.

 

[Interestedobserver]

They are brilliant fun.

I've got a feeling the market may have become saturated already though

Seem to be everywhere now

 

[UKSBD]

I'm actually desperate to be asked to finance one, just to get an insight to the financial model

As far as I can make out its relatively low cost to set up and run (perhaps why I haven't been asked)

No big shopfront
No fancy decor or equipment
Insurance presumably low
Minimal staffing

That's the big overheads covered!

I guess marketing is interesting, due to lack of visible presence and limited awareness of the concept

I would think the licensing fees are pretty high.

Most I've seen appear to be theme based, I would think there are a lot of rights issues involved

 

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

I'm actually desperate to be asked to finance one, just to get an insight to the financial model

As far as I can make out its relatively low cost to set up and run (perhaps why I haven't been asked)

No big shopfront
No fancy decor or equipment
Insurance presumably low
Minimal staffing

That's the big overheads covered!

I guess marketing is interesting, due to lack of visible presence and limited awareness of the concept

The good ones have fancy expensive custom electronic elements. There's one in Glasgow that I go to regularly with two of my mates, and she now asks us to come and test out the new games they are developing - they spend a fortune kitting the rooms out with some really high tech stuff.

Its an area of the entertainment/leisure industry that was hit very hard by covid, and there's not really a viable route out of it. Very hard to operate while still meeting all the current requirements. People squeezed into a small room, touching everything...breathing the same air etc.

Pre Covid there were more than 10 different venues just in Glasgow, which is a small town. I highly doubt all of those will reopen but some of them hopefully will still come back.

 

[IanSuth]

Yes bet the rights payments for our local one weren't cheap but it gets good reviews

https://escapehunt.com/uk/reading/games/doctor-who-a-dalek-awakens/

 

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

I’ve been to a Sherlock Holmes one - I don’t reckon they were too bothered about licensing.

 

[alan1302]

there were more than 10 different venues just in Glasgow, which is a small town..

I'm pretty sure Glasgow isn't a small town!

 

[alan1302]

I’ve been to a Sherlock Holmes one - I don’t reckon they were too bothered about licensing.

Expect it is out of copyright now though so they can use it without having to worry about such things.

 

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

I'm pretty sure Glasgow isn't a small town!

For Scotland, no its not. But in the context of UK cities....its a bit titchy if you look in terms of the actual city population! Quoted population numbers tend to include the "Greater Glasgow Area" which is a bit like including the population of Essex in London numbers.

 

[UKSBD]

Expect it is out of copyright now though so they can use it without having to worry about such things.

No, but there is still someon who sets up all the tasks.

Do the individual businesses/venues do their own or is there a central hub that provides them?

I assumed they were like franchises, some central business that licences all the stuff out to all the different places round the country.

Edit to add: Similar to school shows, plays, pantos, etc.

 

[AlanJ1]

The good ones have fancy expensive custom electronic elements. There's one in Glasgow that I go to regularly with two of my mates, and she now asks us to come and test out the new games they are developing - they spend a fortune kitting the rooms out with some really high tech stuff.

Which one do you go to Gordon? Been to a couple in Glasgow, escape Reality being the one I have visited most frequently but done a couple of the others over the years.

 

[japancool]

You know you can get the whole experience for free at Her Majesty's Pleasure?

 

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

Which one do you go to Gordon? Been to a couple in Glasgow, escape Reality being the one I have visited most frequently but done a couple of the others over the years.

Locked In is the one I go to a lot, and I know the owner well now.
I've been to quite a few different ones across Glasgow though, and also one in Berlin strangely enough!

 

[SillyBill]

10 in Glasgow alone sounds insane! I'd have thought 2 for a good sized city would have been a saturation point but what do I know? I have been to a few over the years and found them a pretty decent experience overall and enjoyable but I wouldn't go to another now out of choice (gets a bit samey after a few times even with different games). These sorts of businesses always look risky medium term to me as heavy reliant on current cultural trends which seem to shift fast. Like upmarket burger joints doing well (or gin bars) then suddenly 5 in every town centre before the public interest wanes and most disappear. For that reason always felt myself fortunate to have the security of a "boring" business, not sexy but at least you know it is just a case of running it well and the cash register continuing to ring.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

I have 2 in the same shopping centre! One has sadly folded (over lockdown), so there may be an opportunity to take it over, as a business to go.

The other one is a branded/themed one, which has a different market, but is still an escape room!