ResovaResova
Mandatoryle suite (including Google Drive, Google sheets and Google Docs. Game monitoring software, currently this is M3. Booking, payment processing and waiver software, currently this is Resova integrated wi
From the filings
+21.154% units YoYHQ-led decisions
Escapology
Personal servicesSoftware purchasing at Escapology is controlled at the corporate level by the executive team, including CEO Charles Burton Heiss and CFO Adam Doktor. The brand mandates Resova for booking and relies on social platforms like Facebook and Instagram for marketing. With 75 locations across the US and a 21% unit growth rate, the addressable market for vendors is expanding quickly.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
75
63 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+21.154%
vs prior filing
AUV
$708K
Item 19, 2024
Royalty
6%
of gross sales
Ad fund
2%
national + local
Initial fee
$45K
per unit
Investment range
$627K–$2.30M
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Franchisor controlled
from the filing
Non-compete
1 years
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
8%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
1 of these are mandated in the franchise agreement. Each is named in Item 11 of the filing, the incumbents a challenger must displace or integrate with.
CanvaCanva
rganic social media, 3.41% on reputation management and social media posting platform, 17.97% on program management/marketing team salaries and 0.37% on creative template program (canva). Although the
FacebookMeta
ved”. If feasible, you may do cooperative advertising with other Escapology franchisees in your area, with our prior written approval. You may not maintain any business profile on Facebook, x 22 Escap
InstagramMeta
h other Escapology franchisees in your area, with our prior written approval. You may not maintain any business profile on Facebook, x 22 Escapology FDD 2025 K (Twitter), Bluesky, Instagram, LinkedIn,
LinkedInLinkedIn
apology franchisees in your area, with our prior written approval. You may not maintain any business profile on Facebook, x 22 Escapology FDD 2025 K (Twitter), Bluesky, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, T
MetaMeta
ill be charged monthly. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, we expended Managed Marketing Program Contributions as follows: 78.25% on agency management of paid search, meta ads, and tiktok
TikTokTikTok
monthly. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, we expended Managed Marketing Program Contributions as follows: 78.25% on agency management of paid search, meta ads, and tiktok ads; creative
TwitterX
ive advertising with other Escapology franchisees in your area, with our prior written approval. You may not maintain any business profile on Facebook, x 22 Escapology FDD 2025 K (Twitter), Bluesky, I
YouTubeGoogle
anchisees in your area, with our prior written approval. You may not maintain any business profile on Facebook, x 22 Escapology FDD 2025 K (Twitter), Bluesky, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok or a
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
25 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 5 explicit no's; 4 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesFranchise agreement
permit Franchisor to independently and electronically access and retrieve any information stored in Franchisee’s Computer System, other computer systems and web-based payment processing accounts, including, without limitation, information concerning Gross Sales.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Within three (3) business days after the close of each calendar month and within ninety (90) days after the close of each fiscal year, Franchisee will furnish Franchisor a full and complete written statement of income and expense and a profit and loss statement for the operation of the Franchised Business during said…
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
Our affiliate is one of the approved suppliers of props and other tangible personal property used in Live Escape Games to the Escapology system.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 11
We may replace or modify all or components of the Computer System from time to time and you agree to implement our replacements or modifications after you receive notice from us at your expense.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
During our fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, we had a total revenue of $6,622,286 of which $0 (or 0%) was from rebates from third party suppliers received by our franchisees.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We also have the right to receive revenues or rebates from suppliers on account of other purchases or leases by franchisees.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
25Item 8
We estimate that your purchase or lease of products, supplies and services from approved suppliers (or those which meet our specifications) will represent approximately 85% of your costs to establish your Franchised Business and approximately 25% of your costs for ongoing operation.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
Along with your written request that we approve a proposed item or supplier, you must pay an evaluation fee equal to our costs to evaluate the proposed item or supplier, this includes but is not limited to our costs for time, testing and travel if required.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you would like us to consider another item or supplier, you must make such request in writing to us and have the supplier give us samples of its product or service and such other information that we may require.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesItem 17
Franchisee’s obligations on Article 18 Upon termination, you must: cease operations; termination/ non-renewal cease to identify yourself as a Escapology franchisee; cease to use our trademarks or other intellectual property; cancel any assumed name registration that contains any Mark; pay us and our affiliates all…
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 11
We will conduct inspections of your Franchised Business, at the frequency and duration that we deem advisable.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 17
We may change the and 19.1.4 operations manual and System standards at any time.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesFranchise agreement
No site may be used for the location of the Franchised Business unless it is consented to in writing by Franchisor.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall not establish any website or other listing on the internet except as provided and specifically permitted herein.
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 11
We require you to spend at least $5,000 in grand opening advertising and promotional within the first three months following the opening of your Franchised Business in your territory.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 11
Thereafter, you are required to spend at least 3.5% of your Gross Sales per month on local advertising to promote your Franchised Business.
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesFranchise agreement
Accept and honor all loyalty cards, promotional coupons, or other System-wide offers, on a uniform basis, as accepted by other franchisees in the System.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
You must purchase all equipment, fixtures, inventory, supplies and services from our designated suppliers and contractors or in accordance with our specifications.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You must purchase all equipment, fixtures, inventory, supplies and services from our designated suppliers and contractors or in accordance with our specifications.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
but not limited to, the ACH Authorization attached as Attachment 3, that allow Franchisor to automatically take the Royalty Fee and Innovation Fund Contribution due as well as other sums due Franchisor, 6 Escapology FA 2025 iv from business bank accounts via electronic funds transfers or Automated Clearing House…
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall designate and retain at all times a general manager (“General Manager”) to direct the operation and management of the Franchised Business outlet.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must purchase and use the computer hardware, sales and scheduling software, point-of-sale system, other operating software, applications, platforms and existing or future technology components we specify from time to time (“Computer System”).
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
The Computer System must give us and our affiliates access to all information generated by the Computer System, including pricing and client information for your outlet.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We have the right to impose a reasonable fee for all additional training programs, including the annual convention.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesItem 11
If we require it, you must attend an annual business meeting or convention for up to five days and mandatory additional training offered by us for up to five days per year.
The filing answers no to 5 questions
- Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Item 11
- Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?Franchise agreement
- Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?Franchise agreement
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
Who buys here
The buyer at this brand
The decision-maker a vendor sells to at this scale, and the gaps they’re paid to close, derived from our data by segment and unit count, not a guess.
The franchisor's owner/CEO decides; an ops or franchise-development lead may evaluate.
VP SalesHead of SalesCROSales Director
- With 298 active personal services brands, I can't see which ones are growing or have the tech gaps my product fills, so I waste weeks chasing the wrong targets.A rep burning 10 hours/week on manual research at $50/hr loses $26,000/year. FranCloud's fit_scoring and corpus_search surface high-fit brands in seconds, reclaiming that time for selling.
- 63.5% of personal services brands mandate no POS system, but I can't identify the 108 that do without digging through hundreds of FDDs.Manually reviewing one FDD takes 3+ hours. At 108 targets, that's 324 hours. FranCloud's tech_landscape reveals POS mandates instantly, turning a $16,200 research slog into a single query.
- 91.6% of brands don't mandate a CRM, but the 25 that do are hidden in static reports, delaying my outreach to high-intent prospects.Landing one CRM-displacing deal in this segment can yield $30k+ ARR. FranCloud's find_lookalikes pinpoints those 25 brands and their peers, accelerating pipeline by months.
The vendor opportunity at Escapology
Escapology is a personal services franchise specializing in escape room experiences, headquartered in Florida. According to its 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, the system comprises 75 total units—63 franchised and 12 company-owned—with an average unit volume of $707,671. The brand charges a 6% royalty on gross sales and offers an initial franchise term of 10 years. Year-over-year unit growth stands at 21%, signaling a rapidly expanding footprint concentrated in Texas (12 units), Florida (8), Michigan (5), Georgia (4), and Oregon (4). For software vendors, this represents a growing addressable market of 75 locations, each potentially requiring operational, marketing, and management tools.
Who controls software purchasing
Software purchasing authority sits at the corporate level. The executive team listed in Item 1 includes CEO Charles Burton Heiss, CFO Adam Doktor, and Vice President of Franchising Lloyd J. Notley. No chief information or technology officer is disclosed, suggesting that technology decisions are either made directly by these executives or delegated to external consultants. The franchisee base consists entirely of single-unit operators (85 mapped operators, zero multi-unit), which typically means franchisees have limited autonomy over technology choices and follow HQ mandates. Vendors should target the C-suite, particularly the CEO and CFO, when initiating sales conversations.
Mandated and current tech stack
The FDD mandates or recommends a specific set of technology tools. Resova is the only operational system named, functioning as the booking and reservation platform. For marketing, the brand requires franchisees to use Canva for design and maintain a presence on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. Notably absent from the disclosures are a point-of-sale system, customer relationship management software, employee scheduling, or business intelligence tools. This gap presents opportunities for vendors offering complementary solutions that integrate with Resova or enhance the mandated marketing stack.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 of the FDD does not provide a procurement model, leaving unclear whether Escapology uses designated suppliers, approved supplier lists, or an open purchasing environment. Vendors should clarify this directly with the franchisor. Renewal terms offer two additional 5-year periods after the initial 10-year term, contingent on good standing and the franchisor's discretion not to withdraw from the territory. With a 21% unit growth rate, new locations are opening frequently, creating natural windows for software evaluation and adoption. Renewal cycles may also prompt technology reviews, though the long initial term means many contracts are not imminently expiring.
How to read the Escapology FDD
The Franchise Disclosure Document is a legal filing required by state franchise regulators and provides a standardized view of the franchise system. Key items for software vendors include Item 7 (estimated initial investment), Item 8 (restrictions on sources of products and services), Item 11 (franchisor's obligations), and Item 19 (financial performance representations). The embedded PDF viewer below contains the full 2026 Escapology FDD, allowing you to examine these sections in detail. FranCloud extracts and structures this data to help vendors prioritize targets. For a ranked target list of franchise systems aligned with your software, contact FranCloud.
Questions vendors ask
Escapology, answered from the filing
The executive team, including CEO Charles Burton Heiss and CFO Adam Doktor, controls purchasing. No CIO is listed, but the VP of Franchising, Lloyd J. Notley, likely influences franchisee-facing tools.
The FDD lists Resova as a mandated system, likely for booking and reservations. No traditional POS is named; marketing tools include Canva and major social platforms.
75 total units: 63 franchised and 12 company-owned, spread across states like Texas (12), Florida (8), Michigan (5), Georgia (4), and Oregon (4).
Item 8 of the FDD does not disclose a procurement model, so it is unclear whether suppliers must be designated or approved. Vendors should inquire directly about preferred vendor programs.
With 10-year initial terms and two 5-year renewal options, contract windows may align with new franchise openings or renewals. The brand's 21% unit growth suggests frequent new location openings.
The 2026 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can view it in the embedded PDF viewer below. It contains all legal disclosures, including fees, obligations, and financial performance.
Source
Read the filing itself
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View only A one-time purchase: the original filing, yours to keep.
FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Escapology files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
70 operators run 85 mapped locations. 11 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit59
2–9 units11
Top states by locations
| TX | 12 |
|---|---|
| FL | 8 |
| MI | 5 |
| GA | 4 |
| OR | 4 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind Escapology
unknown of escape holdco.
Related Personal services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated August 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.