Escapology is an escape room franchise that has several themed rooms to pick from.
It’s kind of ironic for a company that provides immersive themed-room experiences to be so realistic about its growth potential. But that is the story at Escapology, where CEO Burton Heiss has skippered a carefully thought out and deliberate development plan.
The Peninsula Capital-backed escape room concept turned in three-year sales growth of 59.6 percent and three-year unit growth of 42.4 percent. Its gross sales reached $54 million in 2024.
“Our strongest growth has come from expanding with existing franchise partners,” said Heiss, whose company ended last year with 94 locations in 30 states and eight countries. “We’ve made multi-unit ownership easier through a streamlined process, enhanced training and centralized marketing. This allows proven operators to scale faster and more profitably.”
Founded by brothers Simon and Paul Davison in 2014 and franchising since 2016, Escapology kept the momentum going this year. The company said it opened 15 locations through October.
It costs up to $1.9 million to open a tech-enabled Escapology, but Heiss said the biggest challenge for his company is not necessarily finding well-capitalized franchisees to open units. Instead, it’s convincing people that escape rooms are not a fad.
“We had to educate landlords, lenders and prospective franchisees about the staying power of experiential entertainment. Today, the results speak for themselves with double-digit comp growth this year and continued expansion across our franchise network,” he said. “The response from our guests and partners shows that Escapology has firmly established itself as a trusted, enduring entertainment brand.”