Turn-Key, Est. FUN, FLEXIBLE, community based, Escape Room
Exit 4, Private Escape Rooms franchise for sale in Lima , Ohio
List Price: $225,000 USD
Key Facts
Cash Flow (SDE)
Upon Inquiry
Seasonal Business
No
Value of Inventory
Less than $25,000
Value of Assets
$100,000 – $150,000
Year Established
2022
Business Operates From
A retail location
Location Is
Leased
Approx. Monthly Rent
$3,500
Total Employees
Less than 10
1–3 MonthsTransition
Support
SomewhatPrice/Terms
Flexibility
NoneSeller financing Available
PassiveOwner
Involvement
About this Business
A four-year established franchise in the Ohio market, with room for growth. Located in the heart of the town, ample parking, great signage and location, looking for a new franchise owner. The business has a steady flow of customers, new and repeat, as well as many local businesses that book. The town of Lima is growing immensely, and this has shown to attract new customers to this escape room.
The rooms are start of the art, with the opportunity to be swapped out for new rooms. The location is very clean, organized, and has an inviting entry with a welcoming lobby.
There is nothing ‘odd’ about this business model. It is pretty straightforward, easy to operate, minimal employees, and truly turn-key.
Growth opportunities
With a bit more time and working capital, a new owner can capitalize on the growth Lima is bringing in the area (Chic-Fil-A, Target, etc). There is an untapped market for more corporate events, parties and special outings.
Owner's Day-to-Day Involvement
This particular owner has a full time job, but shows up on weekends and when he needs to. He chooses this as a single dad to stay busy, and keep his costs of employees down. A new owner can run it semi-absentee, or as an owner/operator. There is a lot of opportunity and flexibility in this model and how the "new" owner decides their role. The franchisor is flexible.
Franchise Accolades & Awards
Local Lima business recognition awards Over 200, 5-star google ratings
Additional Info
Owner is a great person. He is willing to stay on for a smooth transition, lives local and plans to stay local. He stands behind this model and what he has created. Seller remains passionate and very optimistic about the 5 star google rating and the strong seeds he has planted for the next owners.
Asset Description
Everything that is needed to operate; desks, chairs, sitting furniture, computer, 4 well designed rooms, all decor.
Inventory Description
This is a low inventory model, which makes it very attractive. There will be some shirts, and game boxes that are sold in the waiting area, that will be included. As well as any brochures, business cards, signs, etc
Reason for Selling
Solo owner looking to free up some of his time for personal reasons, and get involved in some other opportunities that have been presented to him.
Why I Love My Franchise
It is FUN, it is community based, it is rewarding and entertaining. There are NO emergencies in the escape room business, that will keep you up at night. Minimal employees to manage, flexible schedule, ability to control schedule and income. Love that franchisor is super supportive, but not in your face, and allows you to have the liberty to bring your creativity to the area if you choose.
About Exit 4, Private Escape Rooms
Exit 4 Private Escape Rooms is a brick-and-mortar escape room franchise. Each venue runs a set of themed rooms, typically four, that are always booked privately: a group of two to ten players gets the whole room for a 60-minute game, with no strangers, no actors and no locked doors. Revenue comes from per-player bookings plus birthdays, bachelorette parties, corporate team-building, private events and gift cards.
The rooms are designed, built and tested in the company’s own 3,000-square-foot workshop, then installed on site. Themes are shared across the network, among them a haunted mountain hotel, a sci-fi cantina, a wizard school and a 1990s video store, and the system is set up to swap an older room for a new one with little downtime. Franchisees run the venue, its staff and local marketing rather than designing games.
The concept opened in April 2016 as Escape Room South Jersey in Collingswood, New Jersey, adding a second site in Glassboro in 2017. The founders rebranded it as Exit 4 in 2018 to franchise the concept, and the company remains founder-led from Glassboro. Locations now stretch from New Jersey and Pennsylvania to Texas, Tennessee, Arizona and Utah.
Franchisee Support
Initial training combines 36 hours of classroom instruction, covering marketing and sales, finance, management, staffing and the escape room industry, with 25 hours of on-the-job training at the Glassboro, New Jersey headquarters and at the franchisee's own venue. After opening, the franchisor handles room construction, installation and maintenance, and supplies website, graphics and marketing support, with each venue booked through its own page on the central Exit 4 site. Buyers of an existing venue should confirm what training transfers to new ownership and how room maintenance and future room swaps are scheduled and charged.
Brand Accolades & Awards
Exit 4's recognition rests mainly on guest reviews. Its locations carry strong ratings on Tripadvisor, including 4.9 for the original Collingswood venue and 5.0 for newer sites in Chattanooga and Katy, and its Facebook page holds a 5.0 rating. The brand also positions itself as the company behind southern New Jersey's first escape rooms, and new openings such as Collierville, Tennessee have drawn local press coverage. For resale buyers, a venue's own Google and Tripadvisor standing and its ties with local schools, employers and party planners should weigh more than brand-level recognition.
Industry / Market
Room Escape Artist counted just over 2,000 escape room facilities in the US in December 2025, a figure that has held steady for three and a half years, and estimates US industry revenue at about $300 million a year from about 40,000 weekly bookings. Ownership is consolidating toward chains, franchises and multi-site operators, and 78% of US rooms now book privately. Demand peaks from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. For resale buyers, local competition and the strength of a venue's weekday party and corporate business are key factors.
Ideal Owner
Exit 4 suits outgoing, people-focused owners who enjoy hospitality and can build a local following through networking, community ties and grassroots marketing. Escape room experience is not needed, since the franchisor supplies and maintains the games. The brand recruits both hands-on owner-operators and capable people managers seeking a semi-absentee role; either way, the job centres on hiring and coaching game masters, holding service standards, managing online reviews and winning birthday, school and corporate group bookings.