Escapology Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Escapology is an entertainment franchise operating escape rooms where groups solve themed puzzles to break out within a time limit. Franchisees run a venue managing game rooms, game masters, bookings, and corporate events.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Escapology franchise requires a total initial investment of $627K – $2.3M, including a $45K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 32 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $627K – $2.3M
- 36th pct Recreation & …
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Outlet subset
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 7th pct Recreation & …
- Units
- 75
- 42nd pct Recreation & …
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Recreation & Entertainment · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Recreation & Entertainment avg · 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 $627K – $2.3M including a $45K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSTotal Revenues for FYE Dec 31, 2024 comprise Franchise Income $5,441,255 and Owned Venue Game Sales $1,181,031.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 70/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 32 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 37.0% CAGR over 3 years with 75 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Escapology, LLC
- Parent company
- Escapology Holdings, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- Escape Holdings, LLC (controlled by Peninsula Capital Partners)
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Charles Burton Heiss
- Incorporated in
- FL
- HQ
- 11951 International Drive, #2A1, Orlando, Florida 32821
- Auditor
- CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $6.6M
- vs $4.8M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Charles Burton Heiss
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 2014
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 28
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 10% above the typical recreation & entertainment franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $45K | $45K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $45K | $75K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $537K | $2.2M |
| Total initial investment | $627K | $2.3M |
Source: Escapology 2026 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
- $627K – $2.3M
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $45K – $75K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $45K – $45K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $199 |
| Training fee | $7K |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Escapology did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Escapology unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
7%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
Total Revenues for FYE Dec 31, 2024 comprise Franchise Income $5,441,255 and Owned Venue Game Sales $1,181,031.
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
- Item 19 type
- gross sales and profit contribution
- Sample size
- 61
- vs category median 5 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $121K→$2.2M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 6 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 166 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 average).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports gross sales and profit contribution rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
System expanding at 37.0% CAGR over 3 years across 75 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
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 averages
How Escapology Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 75
- Opened
- 11
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 12
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 84%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +37.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +37.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 11
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 28 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
28
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 32
- Loan volume
- $16.8M
- Median loan
- $350K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 15
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 8.2%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 13.9%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 442
- 2.6 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 19%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 84% went to startups / new businesses, 16% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in all other amusement and recreation industries, franchised businesses charge off at 13.9% vs 16.2% for independents — franchising is associated with 14% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Escapology franchisees
Showing 3 of 15 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Escapology's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 15 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 9-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 32 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 0.0% — 100% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Escapology presents caution-level risk due to regulatory violations, lack of financial disclosure documentation, high capital requirements relative to stated earnings, and a small growing system with unverified performance claims.
Litigation (Item 3)
California DFPI consent order (Jan 2023): Escapology voluntarily paid $12,500 penalty for failing to disclose material facts related to two negotiated sales in California and failing to maintain disclosure records
Largest disclosed settlement: $12,500
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
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 70 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORCalifornia regulatory violation in 2023 involving material disclosure failures and record-keeping deficiencies, indicating compliance issues
- 02MINORHigh initial investment range ($626.5K–$2.3M) relative to average net income ($248K), creating 2.5–9.3 year payback period with substantial capital risk
- 03MINORNo Item 19 financial performance representations (Going Concern: False), preventing validation of claimed average revenue/net income figures across franchisees
- 04HIGHUnit growth of 21.2% YoY is positive but system remains small (75 units), raising questions about scalability and franchisor operational capacity post-litigation
- 05MINOR6% royalty on gross sales compounds pressure on lower-performing locations; unclear if $707.7K average revenue is representative or includes outliers
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 2026 · 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 | exclusive |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory radius | 5 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Orlando, Florida (headquarters) |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | FL |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
California DFPI consent order (Jan 2023): Escapology voluntarily paid $12,500 penalty for failing to disclose material facts related to two negotiated sales in California and failing to maintain disclosure records
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 60 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 91 hrs
- Training location
- Orlando, Florida (headquarters/affiliate-owned location)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 10 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Resova integrated with Clover
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Resova integrated with Clover
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Escapology franchise?
The total investment to open a Escapology franchise ranges from $627K – $2.3M, with an initial franchise fee of $45K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Escapology franchise owners earn?
Escapology 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 Item 19 in the Escapology 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 Escapology FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Escapology's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Escapology has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 32 loans, meaning 0.0% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Escapology franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Escapology has 75 total units in the United States, including 63 franchised units and 12 company-owned units. 11 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Escapology a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Escapology as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 70 out of 100 (higher is better), 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.
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.