Why Escape Room Businesses Can Save Dying Towns
Paying to be locked inside a room might seem like an odd hobby, especially as we enter the third year of the pandemic. However, the escape room industry has taken the world by surprise. People “get the bug” and want to solve puzzles and experience the unique rush of escaping.
Escape rooms are popular with diverse audience groups, encouraging families, friends, and co-workers to work together and communicate as they tackle a new adventure. Perhaps, it’s the chance to escape their day-to-day reality or the prospect of facing experiences they will never face in real life. Robbing a bank? Fighting zombies? Freeing a ghost? All these are popular escape room themes.
Yet, beyond the playfulness, there’s also an advantage for cities to he;p escape room owners. Indeed, people travel to play, and as they do, they inject life and money into city centres that would otherwise suffer a post-pandemic crisis.
Escape room businesses can repurpose abandoned buildings
Access to banking services can be difficult as major high street bank branches have been closing down significantly in small-town communities. As a result, empty buildings with a vault safe appear in the real estate market. It is a fantastic setting for escape room businesses that can reach out to Specialist Vault Installation and Dismantling Services across the UK for support. A bank robbery theme set with a real bank vault can attract players. More importantly, as escape room businesses preserve older buildings and attract footfall, they also become instrumental in bringing banks back to abandoned communities.
Players stay in town for a day
Therefore, it makes sense for local businesses to build partnerships with escape rooms. Local restaurants, for example, could create value-for-money meals for escape room goers, even promoting a discount to escape room teams. Indeed, players enjoy discussing the rooms and puzzles after the experience. Local restaurants and coffee shops could benefit from their presence if they can meet their needs.
Escape room teams are likely to need the following services:
- Quick and easy 30min meal menu before a game
- Extended service hours as escape rooms businesses can shut late
- Celebratory snacks for new escape room achievements (similar to birthday treats that many restaurants operate)
Improving everyday facilities
Players are happy to travel to play a game. But, the town needs to have sufficient welcoming facilities for their guests. All-day car parks in the city centre are a must. No player wants car parks that shut down in the afternoon, especially as some escape rooms will stay open until 10 pm. Additionally, car park facilities also need to include smart payment methods. In 2022, people will prefer to avoid coin machines. Paying via an app can encourage visitors to come and extend their stay.
Small convenience stores can also benefit from the new wave of game tourism. Players are keen to buy snacks and bottles of water for the day to fuel their energy between games.
In conclusion, escape room businesses can help renew little towns economy by bringing new visitors. At a time when shops struggle to remain open in the face of digital activities, the escape room industry is creating a new appeal for physical and offline businesses.
