Escape Hunt comes to Riverside in Canterbury
Escape Hunt has just landed at Riverside in Canterbury, aiming to bring an extra edge of magic and adventure to the Riverside Development.
The venue offers four immersive escape rooms and three outdoor experiences across the city centre, where guests can leap into new worlds with an adrenaline-filled race against the clock to crack clues and solve puzzles.
Talking with the General Manager, Anthony Gray, he said that they were excited to be there with guests already booking head.
“I think we have been well received in Riverside, and we invited a lot of local businesses to join us on our open day.
“Marlowe Theatre, Curzon Cinema, Boom Battle Bar, Dice and Destiny from the city centre, to name a few.
“People are booking ahead, and every weekend has bookings now for the next two months.”
He said that Escape Hunt would offer a more immersive element than an Escape Room, selling adventure as the key theme from Curse of the Pharaoh to Aladdin and The Magic Vault and Dracula.
Outdoor experiences include helping the White Rabbit in Return to Wonderland, saving the world in Time Cops, or becoming a Vampire Hunter.
The multi-million pound Riverside Development, which was built in 2022, has seen some of its largest venues close or leave with mixed reviews of the site.
Kirtan Patel, owner of Sekkoya, an Indian fusion restaurant, said he had sunk more than £1 million into his unit after Canterbury City Council gave incentives to move in.
He said he was ‘sold a dream’ and that there was a lack of footfall, leading him to pull out of Riverside and take a new venue on St Peter’s Street, which opened last week.
A city council spokesperson said that with the right marketing and the right type of offer, there is huge potential, looking at the success of the Curzon Cinema, Boom Battle Bar, and its sister organization, Escape Hunt, which has just had a ‘hugely successful launch.’
Heavenly Desserts is also set to reopen with a new refurbishment after a kitchen fire set them back last year.
“The dynamic has changed,” said General Manager Anthony Gray.
“Riverside is no longer driven by restaurants, it’s all about entertainment; it is somewhere you can bring the family for a whole day adventure.
“There will be an outdoor cinema opening soon, there is the offering of Boom Battle Bar. Yes, we have Korean Cowgirl, but I definitely think that Riverside is becoming more adventure-led rather than a restaurant-dominated area of town.”
Escape Hunt has over twenty-three venues across the UK with more internationally from Brisbane to Birmingham and Marseille to Miami.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to bring the magic of our immersive adventures to Canterbury,” says Richard Harpham, CEO. “The venue houses four of our five escape rooms and is the perfect activity for friends, family, parties, or work events. We can’t wait to welcome guests through our doors for their next adventure.”
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