Today we’d like to introduce you to MindFox Escape.
MindFox Escape, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
What started out as a fun activity to do together in 2017 remarkably turned into a thriving family business. We knew we had the passion for escape rooms but didn’t have the knowledge to create our own. So, we did a lot of research and in 2019 we found a mentor in Arizona who was kind enough to show us the ropes. It was during our many discussions with him and the support of our families that gave us the motivation and encouragement to move forward and find a location to set up shop. It took a while to find a space that would suit our needs, but eventually, we found landlords who were excited about our vision to create one-of-a-kind experiences. We started finalizing our floor plans while working on our themes and puzzles when… COVID hit. The space we leased was completely gutted, but no work could be done since everyone everywhere was on lockdown. Despite the odds against us, we kept on going! We spent countless hours building our rooms from scratch and designing our business structure to complete our vision. Finally, in September 2020, we opened our first room: Black & White Café. The uniqueness of the theme was so well received that it gave us the exposure we needed to reach more people. It put us on the map! While the pandemic progressed and gradually improved, we worked hard to complete our second room, Moriarty’s Manor which opened in August 2021. Many of our former customers returned for our “sophomore album” which can be attributed to the memorable experience we had provided them. It has been a labor of love for all of us and after nearly 2 years of being open we feel ready to take on the challenge of creating our third room.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As was the case with the rest of the world, COVID was the biggest struggle in starting our new business venture. Since our industry is specifically designed as a group activity, not many people during this time were proactively seeking escape rooms. Although the downtime allowed us to work on our business and focus on how we could make our escape room fun for all ages in our community, it was still a struggle to find people who were seeking a group activity. With cleanliness protocols in place and a positive mindset, we gradually saw the number of guests grow and now we have steady bookings and have met wonderful people along the way.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
All the owners come from various backgrounds. From working in an accounting firm to the mortgage industry, engineering, and a Veteran of the Unites States Navy. We entered the escape room industry with little knowledge but a lot of enthusiasm. We just knew we wanted to spread joy and bring people together.
What do you think about luck?
We are firm believers in playing the hand the universe deals you. We decided to roll with the punches that 2020 brought us and here we are today. We’re lucky to be part of a great community of like-minded individuals who have done nothing but encourage us, being the new kids on the block.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mindfoxescape.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfoxescape/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindfoxescapesd
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mindfox-escape-san-diego
Image Credits
Matthew Stein
