Print
Real Estate - Commercial

New Downtown Escape Room Opens This Week

By Emma Dill, posted Oct 7, 2024
Game Over Escape Rooms manger Nadine Shtab (left) and owner Logan Zanki pose in front of the business at 224 N. Front St. in downtown Wilmington. (Photo by Emma Dill)
A new immersive escape room is gearing up to open in downtown Wilmington later this week.

Game Over Escape Room is slated to open Friday at 224 N. Front St., the former home of Shaw University. Entrepreneur Logan Zanki bought the building in June for more than $950,000, according to property records, and spent the summer renovating the building and converting it into a series of escape rooms with the help of a team of Greek designers.

The business features four themed escape rooms, including the Harry Potter-inspired School of Magic, Lost City of Atlantis, Horror Circus and Illuminati. Each escape room includes a series of interactive clues that lead participants through three to five rooms, depending on the theme, Zanki said. Participants have an hour to escape but can receive hints through a screen installed in each escape room. Game Over staff can also provide hints if groups get stuck.

Zanki said the escape rooms stand out from others in the area because of the immersive experience they offer. One escape room, for example, features walls designed to look like carved stone and a bookshelf while another includes a live waterfall with vivid blue and green lighting. (A photo inside the Lost City of Atlantis is shown at right.)

“This is not your normal escape room; it’s an attraction with an escape,” Zanki said. “So when you're in these environments, you’re gonna feel like you're actually there.”

Zanki, who owns several local businesses, initially set out to establish an indoor bounce house venue, but when he couldn’t find a suitable space, he looked into other options. He then came across Game Over Escape Rooms. 

The Greek company has 650 escape rooms worldwide, including locations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and North America. The Wilmington escape room will become the company’s fifth U.S. location, Zanki said.

Shortly after learning about the company, Zanki flew to Florida to experience one of the company’s escape rooms firsthand. Last fall, he decided to establish a local franchise, buying a market area that extends from Myrtle Beach to Raleigh.

After buying the 224 N. Fourth St. building this summer, weeks of work went into upfitting its interior and exterior.

“When we first bought the building, there was an unbearable smell in here, mold damage, there was all kinds of stuff,” Zanki said. “We had to remove all the flooring, insulation, ceiling tiles, replace the AC, do the roof, a bunch of stuff.”

The more than 5,000-square-foot building was constructed in 1960, according to property records, and has been vacant in recent years. Property records show Shaw University purchased the building in Aug. 1990 for $155,000. The building had housed a local adult degree program for Shaw.

Later this summer, a team of 10 designers flew in from Greece to install the escape room interior. Props, decor and other elements arrived in Wilmington in a 40-foot shipping container this summer, Zanki said. (A photo of a carved clown from inside Horror Circus is shown at left.)

Eventually, Zanki said, he plans to install a staircase and more escape rooms on the building's second floor. He's also eyeing the potential of expanding into the Myrtle Beach and Raleigh markets in future years.

With the escape room nearing an opening, Zanki said he’s stepping back and handing the reins to manager Nadine Shtab, who will oversee the location's day-to-day operations. The escape rooms can be booked ahead online with ticket prices starting at $44.99 per person. According to the company's website, groups can range from two to eight people.
Ico insights

INSIGHTS

SPONSORS' CONTENT
Jane

It’s Child’s Play

Jane Morrow - Smart Start of New Hanover County
2022052 75 142344351

Elevating Wilmington: Why a New, Taller Bridge is Essential for Our Progress

Natalie English - Wilmington Chamber of Commerce
Untitleddesign12 101424113223

Artificial Intelligence Tools For Productivity

John Monahan - Vistage

Trending News

Apartments Might Be Down The Lane For Former Bowling Alley Property

Staff Reports - Nov 8, 2024

Palliative Care Clinic Opening On Shipyard Boulevard

Staff Reports - Nov 7, 2024

Unofficial Local Election Results Show Narrow Margins, Incumbent Support

Emma Dill - Nov 6, 2024

Avelo Starts Florida, Connecticut Nonstop Flights From ILM

Staff Reports - Nov 7, 2024

In The Current Issue

Bankruptcy Can Lead To New Chapter

The choice of Chapter 11 (of the Bankruptcy Code) is specifically to let a company reorganize so they can stay in business, a local attorney...


Novant Opens Simulation Lab For Local Training

The lab was set up in a renovated two-story former bank near Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s South 17th Street campus....


At 80, Merritt Still Has Work To Do

Merritt has been and done many things in his life, and he’s comfortable talking about it, the successes and the failures. A commercial real...

Book On Business

The 2024 WilmingtonBiz: Book on Business is an annual publication showcasing the Wilmington region as a center of business.

Order Your Copy Today!


Galleries

Videos

2024 Power Breakfast: The Next Season