Escape Hunt Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $356K – $663K
- Disclosed sales
- partial, no system average
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Escape Hunt is a recreation franchise operating themed escape rooms where groups solve puzzles to escape within a time limit. Franchisees run the venues, managing game rooms, bookings, staffing, and events.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Escape Hunt franchise requires a total initial investment of $356K – $663K, including a $40K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. The 2022 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. FranchiseVerdict grade: D (Below average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: high - issued more than two years ago
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✗ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored4 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $356K – $663K
- 27th pct Recreation & …
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Outlet subsetProjectionn=1
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 43rd pct Recreation & …
- Units
- 2
- 8th pct Recreation & …
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Recreation & Entertainment · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Recreation & Entertainment median · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $356K – $663K including a $40K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 reports per booking metrics rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 36/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHFlat: no net change in franchised outlets in the latest year (0 opened, 0 closed) (Item 20).
- DATAItem 19 reports per booking metrics rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Escape Hunt USA Franchises Ltd.
- Parent company
- XP Factory plc
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2022 FDD
- CEO title
- Director and Chief Executive Officer
- Richard Harpham
- Incorporated in
- United Kingdom
- HQ
- Belmont House, Station Way, Crawley RH10 1JA, United Kingdom
- Auditor
- Plante & Moran, PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $27K
- Most recent fiscal year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Richard Harpham
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Founded
- 2020
- FDD year
- 2022
- States available
- 2
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 9% below the typical recreation & entertainment franchise.
Source: FDD 2022 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2022 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $40K | $40K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $30K | $50K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $286K | $573K |
| Total initial investment | $356K | $663K |
Source: Escape Hunt 2022 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $356K – $663K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- Set by a formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% |
| Technology fee | $250 |
| Training fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $15K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2022 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
No Item 19 revenue figure for Escape Hunt is on file. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Escape Hunt unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2022 FDD
Financial Performance
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
Reported per transaction, not per outlet
Based on a single reporting unit - not a system average
- Item 19 type
- per booking metrics
- Sample size
- 1
- vs category median 5 · small
- Reporting year
- 2022
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2022
- The FDD edition these figures were read from
Compared against 165 Recreation & Entertainment brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 8.0% (near the Recreation & Entertainment median).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports per booking metrics rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
Net unit growth roughly flat at 0.0%.
Multi-unit rate
Only 5% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Recreation & Entertainment medians
How Escape Hunt Compares
Category median of published Recreation & Entertainment brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2022 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 2
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- N/A
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 4.5%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +0.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +0.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 0
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 50.0%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Continuity rate
- 100.0%
- Units that stayed open
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 3 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
3 current owners across 3 states.
- FL 1
- MN 1
- TX 1
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Escape Hunt presents elevated risk due to extreme system immaturity (2 units only), absent financial disclosures, high investment requirement, and a mature/declining industry segment with no clear competitive differentiation.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this item.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Plante & Moran, PLLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Audited statement of operations for year ended December 31, 2021; total net sales of $26,871 comprises royalty fees $26,454 and franchise fees $417. Prior period (inception Nov 18, 2020 to Dec 31, 2020) net sales were $0. Interest income of $8,694 reported separately as nonoperating income.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 36 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDOnly 2 existing units suggest extremely limited system validation and unproven scalability of the escape room concept
- 02MINORMandatory $2,000/month minimum royalty (8% or $2K floor) creates cash flow pressure even during low-revenue periods
- 03MINOREscape room industry faces secular headwinds from oversaturation and declining novelty appeal since peak 2016-2018
- 04MINORUnknown growth trajectory with only 2 units and no multi-year unit history raises questions about franchisee retention and profitability
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2022 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | New York, New York |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | New York |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this item.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 40 hrs
- Training location
- Adventure Centers operated by Area Representative in the United States (mutually agreed location)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 9 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects, franchisor approves
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
3 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Escape Hunt franchise?
The total investment to open a Escape Hunt franchise ranges from $356K – $663K, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Escape Hunt franchise owners earn?
Item 19 of the Escape Hunt FDD discloses figures for part of the system but no single average across all outlets. These are gross sales figures, not profit; the Revenue section shows what the filing reports and on what basis. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Escape Hunt?
Escape Hunt is franchised by Escape Hunt USA Franchises Ltd.. Its parent company is XP Factory plc. Source: FDD Item 1, 2022 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Escape Hunt FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Escape Hunt FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Escape Hunt's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Escape Hunt (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many Escape Hunt franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Escape Hunt has 2 total units in the United States, including 2 franchised units and 0 company-owned units.
Is Escape Hunt a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Escape Hunt as a D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 36 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.