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Brand Dossier

Escapology

FDD-based analysis. Item-level data. No franchisor input.

Rank #280 on Entrepreneur 2026RecreationFDD issued April 19, 2026
Ranking ContextRanking from Entrepreneur Media's 2026 Franchise 500. Zorzee is independent and not affiliated with Entrepreneur Media.
Source File2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. Measurement period: Item 19 Covered Period: 12 months ending December 31, 2025 (mature outlets only).
About the Brand

About Escapology

Escapology franchises live escape room facilities in which teams of players cooperatively discover clues, solve puzzles and accomplish tasks in one or more rooms in order to unlock the door and leave the game setting within a set period of time. Escapology facilities operate as stand-alone locations in storefronts or as additions within a family entertainment center or other existing entertainment facility such as a casino or theme park, using the Escapology System's distinctive trade dress, operations procedures, service methods and training and marketing methods. The brand serves private consumers seeking live escape room challenges as well as commercial customers who book sessions for team building, corporate entertainment and HR assessment.

Source: Entrepreneur 2026 ranking/profile data and Franchise Disclosure Document, rewritten by Zorzee

Investment Summary

The Numbers At a Glance

Total Investment Range
$630,500 to $2,535,500
FDD Item 7
Franchise Fee
$45,000
Development fee: Item 5 states 'We will not charge you a development fee' on signing the Multi-Unit Development Agreement, yet charges an Initial Franchise Fee of $45,000 per Escapology outlet developed; the Item 7 multi-unit table restates the same amounts as a $135,000-$360,000 'Initial Franchise Fee' range for 3-8 units. (Internal FDD wording inconsistency; economic effect is $45,000/unit.).
FDD Item 5
Royalty + Fees
14%
About 14% of Gross Sales in recurring royalty/marketing (6% royalty + 6% minimum local advertising + 2% innovation...
FDD Item 6
Earnings Claim
Pro exclusive
The disclosed sales or revenue metric, sample, range, and read are included in Pro.
FDD Item 19

Every value here comes straight from the FDD; anything not yet source-verified stays blank rather than estimated. The Pro figures and full interpretation unlock with a Pro membership.

The FDD Data Table

Everything the 2026 Filing Discloses

Every data point Zorzee tracks for this brand, in FDD Item order. Missing source data stays blank; Pro-only interpretation remains locked.

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ItemData PointValueSource
Item 3Litigation Actions (total) 1 action disclosed FDD Item 3
Item 5Initial Franchise Fee The Initial Franchise Fee is $45,000 (Item 5, p.9). FDD Item 5
Item 5Development Fee Item 5 states 'We will not charge you a development fee' on signing the Multi-Unit Development Agreement, yet charges an Initial Franchise Fee of $45,000 per Escapology outlet developed; the Item 7 multi-unit table restates the same amounts as a $135,000-$360,000 'Initial Franchise Fee' range for 3-8 units. (Internal FDD wording inconsistency; economic effect is $45,000/unit.) FDD Item 5
Item 6Royalty Fee Continuing Royalty Fee 6% of Gross Sales, with mandatory minimum monthly royalty of $1,000 for the first 18 months, $2,000 for the next 18 months, and $3,000 each month thereafter; the. FDD Item 6
Item 6National Media Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Corporate Ad & Development Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Total Ongoing Fee Burden Pro Calculated (Item 6)
Item 7Total Investment (low) $630,500 FDD Item 7
Item 7Total Investment (high) $2,535,500 FDD Item 7
Item 8Required Purchases (food/supplies) Pro FDD Item 8
Item 11Franchisor Assistance Pro FDD Item 11
Item 12Exclusive Territory Pro FDD Item 12
Item 12Territory Size Pro FDD Item 12
Item 15Operating Participation Pro FDD Item 15
Item 17Initial Term Length Pro FDD Item 17(a)
Item 17Renewal Terms Pro FDD Item 17(b)-(c)
Item 17Required Remodel at Renewal Pro FDD Item 17(c)
Item 17Termination Triggers Pro FDD Item 17(f)-(h)
Item 17Transfer Fee Pro FDD Item 17(m), Item 6
Item 17ROFR Provisions Pro FDD Item 17(n)
Item 17Post-Termination Non-Compete Pro FDD Item 17(r)
Item 19Revenue Metric Disclosed Pro FDD Item 19
Item 20Total Franchised Units (2025) 68 FDD Item 20
Item 20Company-Owned Units (2025) 20 FDD Item 20
Item 20Total System Net Unit Growth (YoY) +27 (total outlets end-2023 61 to end-2025 88) FDD Item 20
Item 20Terminations Pro FDD Item 20
Item 20Agreements Signed, Not Yet Open Pro FDD Item 20
Item 21Audited Financials Pro FDD Item 21
Pro Data Points Locked
The free table maps every data point to its FDD source. Pro fills in the values and interpretation that require the full read.
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The Signal Tracker

Five Signals From the 2026 Filing

Each signal turns one part of the filing into a read a buyer can act on. Strength means the disclosed data is favorable. In Line means it is typical for the category. Deal-Specific means the term is populated but you still have to model it against your own deal. Concern means the disclosed data is a real risk. The read is free. The reasoning behind it is the Pro read.

Fee Structure
Concern
FDD Item 6
The Pro Read

Item 6 stacks a royalty, a mandatory local-advertising spend, an innovation fee, a fixed monthly technology fee, a monthly managed-marketing charge, and a per-player game-licensing fee, making the ongoing burden heavy relative to a typical royalty-plus-ad load.

Unit Economics
Strength
FDD Item 19
The Pro Read

Escapology provides a detailed Item 19: 2025 gross sales distributions plus average, median, high and low, broken out by format. For the primary Stand-Alone franchised format (48 mature units) average gross sales were $793,521 and median $743,628. These are gross sales, not profit - the disclosed median Profit After Core Expenses of $264,804 still sits before game-license fees, insurance, accounting/legal, rent where owner-occupied, interest, taxes, depreciation and debt.

Litigation History
In Line
FDD Item 3
The Pro Read

FDD Item 3 discloses 1 action. Case names, allegations, procedural posture, and source quotes are locked in Pro.

Operator Validation
In Line
FDD Item 20
The Pro Read

Item 20 shows a system that grew every year with minimal closures, but it also carries a large backlog of signed franchise agreements whose outlets have not yet opened, which is flagged as a special risk on the cover.

Term & Exit Terms
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 17
The Pro Read

Item 17 gives a ten-year term with two additional five-year renewals, a modest transfer fee, a franchisor right of first refusal and purchase option, automatic termination on the owner's death or disability, and an eighteen-month post-term non-compete.

Five Reads In. The Reasoning Is Locked.
You can see where each signal lands. Pro gives you the why: the math, the source detail, and what to validate before you act.
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Item 19: Earnings Disclosure

What the Earnings Claim Says, and What It Does Not

Item 19 earnings data is disclosed for Escapology. The unit sales or revenue metric itself remains locked in Pro; the caution below stays free.

What the Claim Discloses
Disclosed Sales or Revenue Metric
Pro
Median Unit Metric
Pro
Sample Size & Coverage
Pro
High / Low Range
Pro
Percent Meeting or Beating the Average
Pro
What the Disclosure Excludes
Pro
What the Number Doesn't Tell You
Free, because misreading Item 19 is one of the costliest mistakes a first-time buyer can make.
  • Item 19 reports the disclosed sales or revenue metric. That is not profit, and not a forecast of what you would personally take home.
  • An average and a median are not the same number. Know which you are shown and how far apart they sit.
  • What reaches you is whatever survives operating costs and debt service. Item 19 never shows that figure.
Earnings Read Locked
Pro turns the disclosed fields into a read: whether the average is trustworthy, what the disclosure leaves out, and the year-one revenue number Zorzee would underwrite.
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Unit Count and Trajectory

A System Still Expanding

Total Units
88
Latest sourced FDD year
Franchised
68
FDD Item 20
Company-Owned
20
FDD Item 20
Total System Net Change (YoY)
+13
Latest total-system change
Total System Units, Latest Available FDD Years
61
2023
75
2024
88
2025

Escapology trajectory is shown only where source-backed. Missing Item 20 fields stay blank inside the locked layout instead of removing the section.

Source: FDD Item 20 where present. Total system units, franchised plus company-owned. Not financial advice.

Beyond the Net Number
A net unit count is not the same as healthy stores. Pro breaks out openings, closures, terminations, and what the trajectory signals.
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Litigation History

What FDD Item 3 Discloses

1 action disclosed in FDD Item 3. Case-level detail remains locked in Pro.

Case 01
Item 3 action disclosed
Case-level detail locked in Pro
The Read · Pro
What a Litigation Count Doesn't Tell You
Free, because a raw lawsuit count is one of the most misread lines in any FDD.
  • A count means nothing without scale and time. Always compare it to system size and years covered.
  • The pattern matters more than the total. Repeated allegations matter more than isolated disputes.
  • Concluded and open matters are not the same weight. Open matters require different diligence than old resolved matters.
Litigation Read Locked
Pro gives the case-by-case read: allegations, status, scale context, and whether any pattern matters before signing.
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Editorial Analysis

The Zorzee Read

The Zorzee Take
The editor's synthesis: what the filing actually means once the numbers, diligence, and operator reality are weighed against each other. The Take names what matters, what does not, and what must be validated before any decision.
The Read · Pro
The Inversion
Charlie Munger's rule: to understand a thing, study how it fails. Zorzee stress-tests every brand against forecasting, site selection, management depth, and exit math. The framework is free. Which modes bite hardest for this brand, and the fix for each, is the read.
The Failure-Mode Read · Pro
The Editorial Read Is Locked
Pro unlocks the full Zorzee read on Escapology: the editorial synthesis, the math behind the numbers, and the failure modes the filing reveals. Zorzee briefs the decision; you make it.
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Zorzee editorial. Independent analysis. No franchisor review or approval. Not financial advice.

The Decision

You've Seen the Filing. The Read Is Still the Missing Piece.

The filing tells you what Escapology costs to open. Pro adds the read on whether the numbers work for you, in your market, and whether this brand is a business or a job you bought.

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This Dossier
  • The full read behind all five Signal Tracker verdicts
  • Pro FDD data points from fee burden through Item 17 and audited financials
  • The Item 19 earnings read where disclosed
  • The litigation and system-health read
  • The Zorzee Take and failure-mode analysis
Your Pro Membership
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  • The full Signal Tracker across the portal
  • The Zorzee Files: FDD guides, DCF templates, and pro forma models
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