A global giant in the themed escape room field is heading to Orlando’s I-Drive corridor.
Phoenicia Development CEO Tom Harb told GrowthSpotter he plans to start construction in March on a new 13,462-square-foot building next to iFly Orlando at 8969 International Dr. that will house Orlando’s first Prison Island indoor adventure park and a new Chipotle franchise.
Harb said the Swedish company, which recently expanded to the U.S., will lease 10,700 square feet for the attraction. “It’s a good spot for them. They want to be on International Drive in the hot spot, right next to the convention center, right next to the Point Orlando, and that stretch of I-Drive,” he said. “So I think they found the right spot, and we found the right spot.”
The Prison Island attraction will have 10,730 square feet and feature 40 separate escape rooms, or cells. (Site Plan by PNM Architecture)
Founded in 2004, the company operates 104 “Prison Islands” in 24 countries. It opened the first U.S. location in Kansas City in 2022 and expanded to Houston last year. Each location features dozens of themed rooms, or cells,
Longwood-based architect Paul Medley is working with the company’s in-house architect to design the Orlando attraction, which will have 40 “cells.” He said Harb will construct the building, and the Prison Island team will complete the buildout, installing the company’s intellectual property.
“And as soon as the rooms are done, we take over. We do everything in the rooms. Construction, components, IT, and decoration,” Founder and CEO Anders Jackson explained in a video promoting the company’s franchise offering.
The interior buildout takes about eight weeks. Jackson said the high variety of cells appeals to all age groups and makes it a popular destination for parties and team-building events.
“It’s almost like a set production,” Medley said. Each room has a different theme, such as Shark Bay, Waterfall, Cliffhanger, and, naturally, Cell Block.
By opening in Orlando, the company is entering a market already crowded with dozens of escape room attractions of all sizes, including national players and home-grown operators.
Great escapes: Break out of reality in one of Central Florida’s many themed escape rooms
Medley also designed the adjacent restaurant, which will feature a curved facade and a spacious covered patio for outdoor dining. This will be the fourth Chipotle location on the I-Drive corridor.
“The rounded edges really make the pedestrian walk between the iFLY and the new building a more inviting space,” Medley said.
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