The Escape Game co-founder Jonathan Murrell was unsure if his business would find its way out of the financial chaos caused by the pandemic.
COVID-19 lockdowns temporarily closed the company’s 18 storefronts and Murrell and co-founders James Murell and Mark Flint made the difficult decision to furlough more than 500 of the company’s 550 employees.
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mqFE E96 }2D9G:==6\32D65 3FD:?6DD H2D 23=6 E@ DFCG:G6 3J E2<:?8 :ED EC25:E:@?2= :?\A6CD@? 6IA6C:6?46 @?=:?6 2?5 56G6=@A:?8 2 9@DE @7 5:8:E2= 82>6D] %96 A:G@E F?=@4<65 2 ?6H 5:8:E2= C6G6?F6 DEC62>[ H:E9 H9:49 E96 4@>A2?J A=2?D E@ 6IA2?5] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%96 tD42A6 v2>6 :D ?@E 232?5@?:?8 :ED EC25:E:@?2= :?\A6CD@? 6IA6C:6?46D] x? 724E[ E96 4@>A2?J 92D A=2?D E@ @A6? D6G6? >@C6 A9JD:42= =@42E:@?D E9:D J62C :? G2C:@FD DE2E6D 2?5 92D 2=C625J 9:C65 >@C6 E92? b__ 6>A=@J66D E@ DFAA@CE E96 8C@HE9] %@52J[ %96 tD42A6 v2>6 92D ab DE@C67C@?ED 2?5 >@C6 E92? g__ 6>A=@J66D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mx? 2 4@?G6?E:@?2= tD42A6 v2>6 6IA6C:6?46[ G:D:E@CD 92G6 e_ >:?FE6D E@ 6IA=@C6 42C67F==J 4C27E65 DA246D H96C6 E96J >FDE 7:?5 4=F6D[ D@=G6 AFKK=6D 2?5 A:646 E@86E96C DE@C:6D E@ 4@>A=6E6 2 >:DD:@?[ H9:49 FDF2==J :?G@=G6D 6D42A:?8 2 E96>65 C@@>] !C:46D C2?86 7C@> Sag E@ Sbc 56A6?5:?8 @? E96 D:K6 @7 E96 8C@FA[ E96 =@42E:@? 2?5 E96 C@@>]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%9C66 >@?E9D 27E6C E96 7:CDE 42D6 @7 r~'xs\`h H2D 4@?7:C>65 :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ %96 tD42A6 v2>6 3682? @776C:?8 G:CEF2= 6IA6C:6?46D] tD42A6 v2>6 6>A=@J66D 42==65 82>6 8F:56D 24E65 2D =:G6 2G2E2CD :? @?6 @7 E96 4@>A2?J’D A9JD:42= =@42E:@?D] ~?=:?6 A=2J6CD 2?5 E62>D H@F=5 5:C64E E96 “2G2E2C” G:2 +@@>[ E6==:?8 E96> E@ ;F>A[ @A6? 2 5@@C @C 2?J 24E:@? E@ 96=A D@=G6 E96 AFKK=6] r@>A2?:6D =@@<:?8 7@C E62>\3F:=5:?8 24E:G:E:6D 2?5 72>:=:6D H9@ 4@F=5?’E DA6?5 E:>6 E@86E96C :? A6CD@? 5F6 E@ D@4:2= 5:DE2?4:?8 8F:56=:?6D 4@??64E65 @G6C E96 G:CEF2= 6IA6C:6?46]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m“%96 G:CEF2= 6IA6C:6?46D 2==@H65 FD E@ 3C:?8 @FC DE277 324< 367@C6 A6@A=6 4@F=5 4@>6 :?[VV |FCC6== D2:5] “%9:D H2D 6DA64:2==J 2E @FC =@42E:@?D[ =:<6 :? r2=:7@C?:2[ H9@D6 C6DEC:4E:@?D =2DE65 >@?E9D =@?86C E92? D2J @FC %6??6DD66 @C u=@C:52 DE@C6D]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%96 DF446DD @7 E96 G:CEF2= 6IA6C:6?46D 9:?E65 E@ %96 tD42A6 v2>6 @H?6CD E92E E96C6 >2J 36 >@C6 E@ G:CEF2= 6IA6C:6?46D] |FC6== 2?5 9:D A2CE?6CD C64CF:E65 v6@C86 {:G:?8DE@?[ 2 D62D@?65 56G6=@A6C E@ =2F?49 2 H9@=6 ?6H 3C2?5 —k^DA2?m kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E62>3F:=5:?89F3]4@>^Qm%62> qF:=5:?8 wF3k^2mk^DEC@?8m kDA2?m— 7@4FD65 6I4=FD:G6=J @? G:CEF2= 82>6D] %@52J[ {:G:?8DE@? @G6CD66D 2 G:CEF2= @A6C2E:@?D E62> @7 bd >6>36CD H9@ 92G6 3F:=E `_ @?=:?6 82>6D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%96 |FCC6==D 2?5 u=:?E 42F89E E96 6D42A6 C@@> 3F8 :? a_`b 27E6C u=:?E 2?5 9:D 72>:=J A2CE:4:A2E65 :? 2? 6D42A6 C@@> 6IA6C:6?46 @? 2 G242E:@? :? {@?5@?] u=:?E E@=5 E96 3C@E96CD — k^DA2?mH9@ 2E E96 E:>6 H6C6 =@@<:?8 E@ DE2CE 2 ?6H G6?EFC6 — 23@FE E96D6 D@\42==65 6D42A6 C@@>D A@AA:?8 FA 2C@F?5 tFC@A6] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%96 EH@ H6C6 :?EC:8F65] %H@ H66<D =2E6C[ E96 |FCC6==D 2?5 u=:?E 9@AA65 @? 2 A=2?6 E@ wF?82CJ — H96C6[ |FC6== D2:5[ 6D42A6 82>6D 7:CDE 3642>6 A@AF=2C] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m“xE H2D 32D:4 — >@C6 @C =6DD 2 C@@> H:E9 3@I6D[ =@4<D 2?5 AFKK=6D[” |FC6== D2JD] “qJ E@52J’D DE2?52C5D @7 6D42A6 C@@>D[ :E H2D 2 EC6>6?5@FD=J F?:?E6C6DE:?8 82>6[ 3FE H6 =@G65 :E]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%92E ?:89E[ E96 EC:@ 564:565 E96J H@F=5 @A6? 2? 6D42A6 C@@> @7 E96:C @H? :? }2D9G:==6] %H@ >@?E9D =2E6C[ :? |2C49 a_`c[ E96J 5:5 ;FDE E92E :? q6CCJ w:==]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m|FCC6== D2:5 96 2?5 9:D A2CE?6CD 3F:=E E96:C 7:CDE 6D42A6 C@@> 7@C Sd[___] %92E 7:8FC6 :D =2F8923=6 E@52J[ 96 25565] }@H E96 4@>A2?J DA6?5D C@F89=J Sa >:==:@? 3F:=5:?8 2?5 @A6?:?8 6249 ?6H =@42E:@? — 2 7:8FC6 96 D2:5 :D 23@FE 7:G6 E@ 6:89E E:>6D E96 :?5FDECJ 2G6C286]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m“(6 3F:=5 6IA6C:6?46D E92E 92G6 2? :?4C65:3=6 DE@CJ H:E9 w@==JH@@5\=6G6= D6ED[ :?4C65:3=J 25G2?465 E649?@=@8J 2?5 8C62E AFKK=6D[” |FC6== D2:5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m(:E9:? EH@ >@?E9D @7 @A6?:?8[ %96 tD42A6 v2>6 3642>6 E96 ?F>36C @?6 6IA6C:6?46 @? %C:A25G:D@C :? }2D9G:==6] pE E96 E:>6[ |FC6== D2:5[ %C:A25G:D@C H2D E96 @?6 @7 E96 >@DE A@AF=2C H2JD 7@C A6@A=6 E@ 7:?5 24E:G:E:6D :? 2C62D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m&?=:<6 >@DE 6D42A6 82>6 56G6=@A6CD — H9@ @7E6? C6?E @C 3FJ 232?5@?65 :?5FDEC:2= 3F:=5:?8D :? @77\E96\362E6? A2E9 2C62D — |FCC6== D2:5 96 2?5 9:D A2CE?6CD =@@< 7@C DA246D :? 56?D6[ 9:89=J EC277:4<65 2C62D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m“t:89EJ\7:G6 A6C46?E @7 @FC 4FDE@>6CD 5:?6 367@C6 @C 27E6C E96 6IA6C:6?46[” |FCC6== D2:5] “xE’D 2? 6IA6C:6?46] xE’D ?@E D@>6E9:?8 A6@A=6 5@ 6G6CJ52J — :EVD 2 52E6 ?:89E[ 2 72>:=J @C 4@>A2?J @FE:?8 E92E A6@A=6 A=2? E96 H9@=6 6G6?:?8 @C 52J 2C@F?5]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm k^Am
