Games like the swinging-axe run are physically and mentally challenging. | Photo courtesy of Level99.<\/p>\n
In the increasingly crowded world of social entertainment, the three-unit Level99 has a powerful not-so-secret weapon as it prepares for national expansion:<\/span><\/p>\n Ron Shaich.<\/span><\/p>\n Shaich, of course, founded and built the Panera Bread bakery-caf\u00e9 chain into a fast-casual powerhouse before selling it in 2017. His investment vehicle Act III Holdings went on to back concepts like the fast-casual Cava, the bakery-caf\u00e9 concept Tatte, and the health-focused Life Alive.<\/span><\/p>\n Last week, Act III announced a $50 million follow-on growth equity commitment to grow Level99, a unique social entertainment restaurant concept created by Matt DuPlessie, who is founder and CEO. The first Level99 opened in Natick, Massachusetts, in 2021, followed by a second in Providence, Rhode Island last year. Both are in former big-box retail stores.<\/span><\/p>\n Those initial units were supported by an initial $10 million investment from Act III, DuPlessie said, and those locations have doubled initial projections.<\/span><\/p>\n Last month, the third Level99 location opened in the Washington, D.C. area (Tysons Corner), and a fourth is coming next year to Corbin\u2019s Corner in West Hartford, Connecticut.<\/span><\/p>\n Then, No. 5 will be a bigger flagship planned for Disney Springs in Orlando, a high-volume tourist location that will likely raise brand awareness as Level99 looks for national expansion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n DuPlessie said another lease is signed for a sixth location, but he could not yet reveal where. All units will be company owned.<\/span><\/p>\n DuPlessie, whose background includes work with theme parks, museums and big stage shows like the Blue Man Group, said Shaich\u2019s involvement from the beginning was \u201ca marriage made in heaven,\u201d giving the concept a strong food-and-beverage focus.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat people really want on a Friday night out is an amazing social entertainment experience, something mentally and physically active, that they can\u2019t do at home and haven\u2019t seen before,\u201d said DuPlessie. \u201cAnd they want to combine that with fantastic chef-driven food and beverage, both in terms of craft beer and cocktails, but also the menu itself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Detroit-style pizza is a current core offering at Level99. | Photo courtesy of Level99.<\/span><\/p>\n The menu at Level99 rotates with handhelds, like burgers, and shareable plates, but a star offering is a Detroit-style pizza, for which the dough and sauce is all made in house.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy favorite is the Figgy P, which has our house cheese blend, fig jam, burrata and basil,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Tom Sadler, a former vice president on the culinary team at Panera Bread under Shaich, is Level99\u2019s executive chef and vice president of culinary strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n Level99 units also partner with local craft brewers and offer a taproom to showcase local beers. The first two spotlight Night Shift beers, for example, and in the Tysons Corner unit, it\u2019s Victory Brewing.<\/span><\/p>\n DuPlessie said about one-third of revenue comes from the food-and-beverage side.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s absolutely critical to have an amazing menu and to get the drinks right for corporate events,\u201d he said. \u201cCorporate events are about 70% of or events business, and they\u2019re not going to book with you if you don\u2019t have an amazing venue.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Level99 units range in size from about 30,000- to 45,000-square-feet.<\/span><\/p>\n On the game side, Level99 has a variety of experiences to choose from, from certain themed rooms where groups work together to complete challenges, to player-versus-player \u201cduels\u201d and explorable art installations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Rather than playing video or arcade games, Level99 is more like being a character <\/span>in<\/span><\/em> a video game.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s designed for a 21- to 39-year-old demographic, so the challenges appear more sophisticated than the typical social entertainment venues. (There are no age restrictions, but minors must be accompanied by an adult.)<\/span><\/p>\n Guests can buy tickets for two- to four-hours of games, and they can pause their play time to stop for food or drink, if they choose, or eat and drink before or after. They can also bring their drinks into the games.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Once called \u201ceatertainment,\u201d social entertainment restaurant concepts boomed after the pandemic, as consumers appeared to look for opportunities to gather and play. More recently, however, there have been signs of trouble in the sector.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Level99](\"https:\/\/cdn.informaconnect.com\/platform\/files\/public\/inline-images\/level99food.jpg?VersionId=0Afs2oofDif7dsYEr7R_Q6lcSLdpKTl4\")
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