PAUL'S ESCAPE ROOM:
How One Escape Room Doubled Staff Capacity and Secured a Profitable Exit
Serial entrepreneur Paul knew his 8-room venue needed to be more efficient. See how implementing Drawbridge allowed his team to double their game capacity and set the stage for a successful acquisition.
THE CHALLENGE:
A Rigid, Hard-Wired Operation
Paul, an entrepreneur with a background in oil and gas, had expanded his venue from five rooms to eight. However, managing that many games with his existing setup was operationally heavy.
The venue relied on three dedicated gamemaster stations, each with complex dual-monitor stacks that were hard-wired to specific games. If a staff member needed to watch a different room, they had to physically move or reconfigure the system. This rigidity capped their efficiency, limiting gamemasters to monitoring a maximum of three games at a time.
AT A GLANCE
LOCATION:Texas, USA
VENUE:8 rooms
TEAM:12 staff
"We very quickly had one gamemaster running four games... [Eventually] you could have one gamemaster in there, basically running five, six games easily.” Paul, Former Owner & Operator, Texas Escape Room
THE SOLUTION:
Unlocking Flexibility
Paul implemented Drawbridge to consolidate his operations. The platform moved everything—camera feeds, game controls, and checklists—onto a single interface accessible from any computer. This eliminated the need for dedicated stations; any staff member could now monitor any game from anywhere.
This flexibility even extended beyond the venue walls. Paul’s daughter, an experienced manager living two hours away, was able to log in and gamemaster four or five games remotely, providing seamless backup without being on-site.
THE RESULTS
40% REDUCTION IN PEAK STAFFING:Requirements dropped from 4-5 staff members down to just 2-3 during peak times.
67% INCREASE IN GAME CAPACITY:Gamemasters went from a hard cap of 3 games to comfortably running 5 or more simultaneously.
REMOTE OPERATIONS:The system enabled remote management, allowing staff to run games from over 100 miles away.
STREAMLINED COMMUNICATION:The team eliminated walkie-talkies, with hosts using iPads to start games and communicate status directly to gamemasters via the software.
A Seamless Transition
When Paul sold the business in 2025, the operational efficiency created by Drawbridge became a key asset for the new owners. Because the system allowed for such lean staffing, the new ownership team was able to significantly extend the venue’s operating hours—opening earlier and closing later—without increasing labor costs. The transition proved that efficiency isn’t just about saving money; it's about creating a scalable, sellable business.
“It's efficiency, that’s really what it's changed. It’s changed the way the business runs hugely.”Paul, Former Owner & Operator, Texas Escape Room