Today we’d like to introduce you to Charity Gherardini.
Hi Charity , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hi, I’m Charity Gherardini. My family went to an escape room for the first time in January 2023. My eldest son was amazing at it – he understood the “assignment”, jumped right in and was the VIP of the experience. Everyone else loved it too – even our littlest who was 6 at the time – he crouched down low and found a vital piece of the puzzle under a table. When we came home, William (then 17), sat my husband and I down and talked about how much he loved it. My husband and I are very entrepreneurial-minded; we work with a number of small businesses and have ties to our community, so we started wondering if we could bring an escape room to Cartersville because we have nothing like it for miles. After a lot of discussion we tabled the idea because, while I could market and do all the back-end work, and William might be able to come up with the ideas for the rooms, neither of us could construct them. Several weeks later my husband was talking to the Arringtons at their home. The Gherardinis and the Arringtons (Barry) have been family friends for over 10 years, stemming from Barry’s mom’s and dad’s work in the Bartow County School system. Barry and his dad (and sister) are very gifted in construction – building houses, etc. What we didn’t know was that Barry and his wife were avid escape room fans, having visited almost every room in TN, GA and FL, and Barry had built a MOBILE escape room out of an enclosed cargo trailer. He had rented it out a couple of times to people he knew, but it didn’t have much traction. The room was well-thought out and expertly constructed, but there was a limit to how it could grow or make money. What Barry really wanted was to build a brick-and-mortar location. An idea, and a partnership was born! We met weekly for the first few months of 2023 forming our idea, putting together funding from our savings and family and friends, and searching for the perfect location in Bartow County. We knew we wanted to be as close to the bustling downtown of Cartersville as possible, but also wanted a large enough building so we could build the larger and more complex rooms that Barry had ruminating in his brain! We finally found a great spot and a great landlord on Tennessee St, which is about a block or two off the square, and got started on construction. MISSION: Escape opened in September 2023 with one room, MISSION: Copán, beginning the story of our players as agents who solve mysteries and protect the world from the evil, and quirky, Global Crime Syndicate. Our second room, MISSION: Cold McDuffie, opened in December 2023, Mission: Ballad of the Sleeping Dogfish in Summer 2024, and our 2nd location and first room in Canton on Riverstone Parkway will open in June 2025. The mobile room is also still in operation and is perfect for company picnics, birthday parties and camps. We employ about 10 game masters and are active members in both the Bartow and Cherokee County business communities. The last two years have been a wild ride but so fun and we’re not slowing down any time soon! We’ve been able to share our rooms with teams from Toyo, Voestalpine, Chickfila Corporate, Youth Leadership Bartow, numerous churches, clubs, and ball teams and celebrated over 200 birthdays, from ages 8-72! Our thought process for escape rooms is a little bit different- our rooms are immersive and original concept, you’ll never find or play one of our games in another escape room somewhere else, and we always have a few WOW moments, whether its a laser gun fight, a waterfall feature or a floor that gives way. We also want our customers (Agents, if you will) to have a great time – we help them as little or as much as they want when playing one of our rooms. Hearing their laughter and cheers, shouts of delight, and maybe a little surprise, is the best!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We are learning there are slower months of business, and construction is expensive! But Barry and I, and our families, all have unique skillsets that, when blended together, fill in a lot of gaps. We have had overwhelming support from our communities, which is the best part! We’ve met so many amazing entrepreneurs and supporters; our lives are truly different than we could have expected 2 years ago. Getting involved in your local Chamber and DMO (shout out to Cartersville Museum City) and giving back to the community (schools, churches, charity organizations) when you can, is key!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Barry has a diverse background in construction and design. His father, a retired Skills USA teacher, has been instrumental in helping Barry reason through puzzles and design concepts and bring them to reality. Barry has a passion for learning and is a bit of a renaissance man. I am a marketing director by day, and more of the operational piece of the puzzle – I designed and maintain the website, social media, networking and community involvement and business operations. My husband, while not technically involved in the business, helps with the big picture and budgeting and is key at making sure our employees and customers are well taken care of. Our eldest son, William, also works at the escape room as a Game Master, for special events and large groups.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Atlanta is a vibrant city that we capture inspiration from for our business. But we love that Cartersville (and Canton) feel a bit smaller and we have an opportunity to really get to know our neighbors and customers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.missionescapega.com
- Instagram: @missionescapega
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/missionescapega
