Escape HuntFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Escape Hunt franchise requires a total initial investment of $356K – $663K, including a $40K franchise fee. The 2022 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: B. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2022 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $356K – $663K
- 26th pct Recreation & …
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 23rd pct Recreation & …
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 2
- 7th pct Recreation & …
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Recreation & Entertainment · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Recreation & Entertainment avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $356K – $663K including a $40K franchise fee.
- Item 19 discloses "Single unit monthly performance" rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
- Verdict B (Above Average) with a risk score of 59/100.
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- ESCAPE HUNT USA FRANCHISES LTD.
- Parent company
- XP Factory plc
- 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
- $0
- Most recent fiscal year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2022
- Status as of 2022; may have been resolved in a later filing we don't yet have.
Overview
About
Escape Hunt franchisees operate physical escape room venues where customers pay $25-$50+ per person to solve puzzles and escape themed locked rooms within 60 minutes. Day-to-day operations include managing multi-session daily schedules, customer check-ins, room resets between groups, staff supervision, marketing/booking management, and ongoing puzzle/narrative updates to maintain customer novelty.
- CEO
- Richard Harpham
- Founded
- 2020
- FDD year
- 2022
- States available
- 2
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
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $50K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $40K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- The greater of 8% of Gross Sales and $2,000
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | greater of 8% of Gross Sales and $2,000 |
| Technology fee | $250 |
| Training fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $15K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This brand's FDD disclosed "Single unit monthly performance" in Item 19 rather than annual gross sales. This metric cannot be directly compared across brands, so we omit it from rankings.
vs Recreation & Entertainment averages
How Escape Hunt Compares
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
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 4.5%
- Net growth (yr3)
- +0.0%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +0.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- 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 · 7 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.
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.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
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)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this item.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Plante & Moran, PLLC⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
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 59 / 100 rating
- 01MEDOnly 2 existing units suggest extremely limited system validation and unproven scalability of the escape room concept
- 02MEDNo Item 19 financial performance data disclosed — impossible to assess realistic ROI on $356K-$663K investment
- 03MINORMandatory $2,000/month minimum royalty (8% or $2K floor) creates cash flow pressure even during low-revenue periods
- 04MEDHigh initial investment range ($356K-$663K) with no disclosed average unit volumes increases downside risk significantly
- 05MINOREscape room industry faces secular headwinds from oversaturation and declining novelty appeal since peak 2016-2018
- 06MINORUnknown 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
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Area |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| 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
- On-site and off-site
- Ongoing training
- Required
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
9 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Escape Hunt · FDD (2022) PDF
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?
Escape Hunt does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
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 B-grade franchise with a risk score of 59 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. 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.
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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.