---
title: "How Escapology Franchisees Overcame the Fear of Business Ownership"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/09d8955f-5f6d-42c7-9cda-4e3fd2a35c98
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/escapology/how-escapology-franchisees-overcame-business-ownership-fears-2732667
category: "Fitness"
industry: "Fitness"
published: 2026-08-17T17:12:43.000Z
modified: 2026-10-31T21:42:03.323Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/316037596c6177088163fed578277b602064.jpg
---

# How Escapology Franchisees Overcame the Fear of Business Ownership

**TL;DR:** Escapology franchisees Thomas and Whitney Hughes overcame their fears of business ownership to open a successful location in San Antonio. The pair drew on the Escapology franchise system and the experience of other franchisees to achieve high growth and transition to semi-absentee owners.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2026-08-17. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/escapology/how-escapology-franchisees-overcame-business-ownership-fears-2732667).*

## Story

When Escapology franchisees Thomas and Whitney Hughes decided to become first-time business owners, they knew they were taking a risk. Before becoming franchise owners, they worked as skydiving instructors and were seeking a business that would offer long-term growth and greater control over their future. After years of enjoying escape rooms as customers, they believed the Escapology model offered the opportunity they were looking for, but that didn't eliminate the questions that come with opening a business.

"As far as fears of the business, especially for us coming into this as our first venture, I think everything gave us fear," Thomas said on a recent 1851 Franchise webinar. "We're taking out a massive loan. We're signing on to real estate for a 10-year lease. Are we locating this in the right place? Do we have enough rooms? Are escape rooms just a fad?"

Instead of letting those concerns stop them, the pair drew on the Escapology franchise system and the experience of other franchisees who had already gone through the process.

"Everybody kept saying, 'It's hard to get open. It's worth it once you open,'" Whitney said. "Sure enough, I remember the first week we ran our totals, it's like, we've made money. Every week and every month we've seen our growth."

Today, their San Antonio location ranks among the highest-grossing Escapology venues in the country, and they have transitioned from hands-on operators to semi-absentee owners with plans for continued expansion.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Fitness (sector)
- franchise ownership (topic)
- business growth (topic)
- franchise system (topic)
- Escapology (company)
- Thomas Hughes (person)
- Whitney Hughes (person)
- escape rooms (topic)

---
Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/escapology/how-escapology-franchisees-overcame-business-ownership-fears-2732667). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/09d8955f-5f6d-42c7-9cda-4e3fd2a35c98).