If you’ve never been to an escape room, imagine playing a game of Clue. But instead of sitting around a table with pieces on a board, you’re in a physical room and you have no idea what’s going to happen next.
We’ve been running The Escape OKC since 2014, and we have several other locations around the country as well.
When we first opened, there were only about seven other escape rooms in the United States. Basically, if you didn’t live in one of the biggest cities in the country like New York, L.A., or Seattle, you didn’t have access to one. So we definitely got in early. But at the same time, we had been to escape rooms in other countries.
When Andrew was living abroad for a few years, he first visited an escape room in Belfast, Ireland. The idea really stuck, and he spent several days talking with his friends about it, including what he would do differently.
Fast forward a few years, and we opened The Escape OKC. We decided early on that we were passionate about providing a great experience. Everything from the booking process, to showing up at the location, to actually playing the game.
One example of how that played out is our private bookings. Escape rooms generally hold between four and seven people per room. At most facilities, you could go with a couple of friends and other people you don’t know would end up booking the other spots in your room.
So instead of spending quality time with your friends and family, you’re now playing the game with random strangers! As you might imagine, it’s harder to come out of your shell and bounce wacky ideas off each other when there are people you’ve never met before in the room.
Since we knew we were passionate about the experience, we decided to do private bookings. That means that sometimes we take a hit on smaller groups. But we wouldn’t do it any other way because it’s something we’re passionate about.
What are you passionate about? Are you letting that guide your business decisions? Many decisions become easier if you let your passion guide you.