Today we’d like to introduce you to Johanna Strausz.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
The idea and concept of the PanIQ Room have been realized in Hungary. Our company opened its first unit in Hollywood, in 2014 with two themes, and after the great success of the first unit, PanIQ Room started to expand quickly opening new units in San Francisco, Miami, Phoenix, and Chicago.
In February of 2016, our team launched MagIQ Room – an escape room concept specialized for families – in Beverly Hills, California and at the end of 2016, PanIQ Room expanded to Washington DC. The Paniq group is in continuous expansion, it is currently one of the fastest developing escape room chains in the United States. The US units are regular venues for the team building training of international corporations; among others, the employees of the Cheesecake Factory, Google, Oracle, or HP have already tried the PanIQ Room experience.
In early 2017, PanIQ Escape Room became an officially registered escape room franchise.
In September of 2017, PanIQ Room successfully opened its first venue in the Silicon Valley. This year the brand will open new units in Dallas, Houston, Nashville, and New York City.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The management still runs the company from Budapest. We only travel when we open a new unit. We have a very small team here, everyone has her/his own responsibilities. Other than learning the American bureaucracy processes, what we offer(ed) was something new, something unusual, and the people really got it.
With the franchise concept, we also had to rethink many things, because our current resources (mainly, manufacturing the games) would not allow us to open multiple units at the same time – because this is the plan now.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about PanIQ Escape Room Miami – what should we know?
We started as a true garage company when we opened our first unit in Hollywood. The overall concept and psychology of the evolution of escape games are deeply connected to the flow experience. The game takes away players from real life worries and place them in a different world.
As one of the most influential modern psychologists, Hungarian-born Mihály Csíkszentmihályi puts it: “flow is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.” PanIQ Room’s ultimate goal, in a nutshell, is to create games that let players experience this fulfilling mental state.
We are proud to say that we have had some celebrities playing in our units such as Seth Rogan, Chris Evans, Gerard Butler, Colin Kaepernick or Lucy Hale. We have also hosted team building events for huge companies like L’Oreal, HP, Google, Oracle, or Amazon.
Role players, electrical engineers, physicists, chemists, and magicians also take part in the designing and manufacturing of the games.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
The mind behind the idea, CEO, and co-owner is Akos Gabossy. The role of co-founder Patrik Horváth J.D. is indisputable in the international expansion process and the entry to the US market. There is an owner/management group of 10 that is constantly working on the expansion, the planning and the marketing of the company.
Pricing:
- Our prices are from $24-$36 per person depending on the size of the group and the part of the day.
Contact Info:
- Address: 388 NW 27th St, Miami, FL 33127
- Website: paniqescaperoom.com/miami
- Phone: (305) 927 3727
- Email: miami@paniqroom.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paniqroom/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paniqroommiami/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/paniqroomusa
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/paniq-escape-room-miami-miami
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