Picture this. A clock is counting down. You and your closest friends are trapped in a room filled with strange locks and mysterious objects. You have to work together to search for clues, solve intricate puzzles, and escape before time runs out. Sound like fun? Laura Reis, owner of Crack the Code Room Escape in Tinley Park has crafted a thrilling, brain-teasing entertainment experience where every second cracks with excitement. Her unique room designs have created some of the most exhilarating escape room challenges in the south Chicagoland suburbs since opening the doors for adventure seekers in 2018.
“Crack The Code is an escape room where players get to be involved in a 60-minute experience,” explained Laura. “They are thrown into scenarios where they have to solve a series of puzzles and different riddles to try to crack the code, escape out of the mystery, and hopefully beat the time.
“Times are definitely stressful,” added Laura. “This is a really great opportunity for people to come here and just have fun, and disengage from what could be bothering them, and just focus on the escape room.”
For Laura, this retail venture represents a dream realized.
“It has always been a dream of mine to own a business, and I was really proud of myself because I got to put all of my own creative work into this space.
Escape with an idea
Laura’s path to ownership at Crack the Code began with an escape room experience of her own.
“I started doing escape rooms about four years before I opened,” recalled Laura. “I did my first one for a friend’s birthday party, and I actually fell in love with the experience. I was super passionate about hopefully opening one. So, every time I did an escape room challenge, I took mental notes of what I would do if I ever opened one.”
Laura says her passion for escape rooms grew stronger over time, leading her to a bold decision after college.
“I decided full-time jobs weren’t for me, and I was just going to go ahead and take this opportunity to put all of my ideas into reality.”
Her background in business and real estate gave her the perfect foundation to turn her dream into a thriving venture.
“After I graduated business school from Lewis University, I started investing in real estate, and it was going really well. I had awesome contacts with a realtor and a contractor. So, I figured I’ve got those tools. I’d been doing escape rooms for about four years already. So, I had everything I needed to really put this into reality.”
With the right team in place, Laura secured the ideal location and brought her vision to life.
“I found the spot with my realtor, and it all came to light from there,” recalled Laura. “I used my contractor to do all the build-out, and then I used all these ideas I’d built up in my head to bring these rooms to life and put puzzles into the game.
“I actually felt the process was really meant to be. It all came together so beautifully,” Laura reflected. “The location was truly perfect. I’d always thought about opening a business in downtown Tinley Park because it was so pretty. I looked at a bunch of places, and then the spot in Tinley Park came up. I walked in, saw the beautiful lighting and windows, and said, ‘I have to have this.’ My contractor had just finished another business, so he knew all about permits and compliance. It was a really easy process.”
Growing up in Tinley Park, Laura already had a deep connection to the community and its vibrant downtown.
“I’ve always loved this area. Oak Park Avenue has themed benches, parades, and so many events. It’s a huge tourist attraction,” observed Laura. “When I thought about opening an escape room, I didn’t even think getting a spot here was possible, but it worked out perfectly.
“I really wanted to be part of downtown Tinley Park,” said Laura with joy in her voice. “An escape room just fits right in. It’s fun, it’s interactive, and Crack the Code adds to the energy of this amazing strip.”
For Laura, becoming her own boss is clearly about more than just escaping the corporate world. It’s about asserting more control over her life and expressing her own creativity.
“I had multiple jobs before opening this business. I felt that there were always issues,” said Laura with a serious look. “Maybe it was I wasn’t treated properly, or my ideas weren’t appreciated. I always knew, no matter what age I was, that at some point I’d open my own business.
“I wanted to put my passion and hard work into something that was my own, without having to ask, ‘What do you think about this puzzle?’ I could just put my puzzle in and let the customers decide,” said Laura with a warm smile. “It’s easier when you own the business and when you’re not working for someone else’s vision. It doesn’t feel like a job. It really doesn’t when you love what you do.”
Unlocking the adventure
The creative process for designing escape rooms is as unique as the games themselves.
“I come up with all of the themes on my own,” Laura explained. The themes come to me at different times. Sometimes I could be just waking up from a dream, and all of a sudden, I have this idea for a really cool room and I’ll write it down and then I bring it to life. I do things a little bit backwards. I actually think of the cosmetic look and esthetic of the room. Then, I fill in the puzzles later.”
The Tinley Park location offers three, distinct escape room experiences. But Laura said she had more ideas still out there, and so she decided to open a second location nearby in Mokena.
“We try to change our rooms every two years or so,” said Laura with a smile. “I didn’t realize that customers are sitting out there checking my website every week, waiting for an update on a potential new room. That is why I expanded to Mokena.”
Not only does the Mokena location attract new customers from other areas south of Tinley Park, Laura can now provide party and event space for customers who come to play. The Mokena location also helps Laura compete with other escape rooms in the area.
“We have a very large escape room chain about five minutes from here, admitted Laura. “I’m not going to lie; they are probably our largest challenge right now.
“We are a local escape room. We are not part of a franchise. All of the rooms here are homemade, made from scratch,” explained Laura with a pride in her voice. “They’re all custom themed. So, you will never find these escape rooms anywhere else, as opposed to a chain where you may be able to do that same room in every city you go to. I really want customers to say, ‘I’ve never done this theme before.’ That’s really my edge here.”
While larger chains might have bigger budgets, Laura focuses on creativity, originality and most importantly, the experience.
“I love interacting with customers,” shared Laura. “Every hour we have a new group coming in through the door. For many, it’s their first escape room experience.
“It’s fun to watch parents work with their kids to try this new experience. It’s way more fast-paced and hands-on than people expect. Every single game you play is a different experience,” described Laura enthusiastically. “You’re racing a 60-minute clock, so that adrenaline is definitely there.”
The physical interaction is another exciting part of solving an escape room game that sets it apart from digital games.
“I really love the hands-on aspect: physically opening locks, grabbing ropes, connecting pieces,” explained Laura with great excitement in her voice. “You can’t get that experience playing at home.”
A key part of the experience is inviting customers to unplug from their smart phones and disconnect from distractions of social media.
“We ask players to lock their phones up,” said Laura. “It’s really an awesome way for customers to disengage from technology and fully immerse themselves in the puzzles.”
As the owner, Laura handles every aspect personally and realizes that her role is much more important than she ever thought.
“I take all of the calls for this business on my cell phone,” said Laura. “I take them every day of the week. I am engaging with customers, explaining what escape rooms we offer, and why they should choose to come here versus booking a different experience for just a night out, a birthday party, or corporate event. So, it is a lot of selling, hoping the customer can see the value and why they should book an experience here.”
A perfect place to escape
Laura appreciates that her home town has embraced her business dreams and Crack the Code.
“Tinley Park has been amazing. They’ve spotlighted me before at their town hall meetings,” explained Laura. “They like having this right here in the downtown strip. They have been a great aid for me whenever I’ve needed help or resources from them. They’ve been great.”
Laura does believe that she could have eased the stress at the beginning by negotiating more when it came to initial operating expenses and the buildout of Crack the Code.
“The advice I would give to somebody who is considering opening a retail business is negotiate a little bit more and maybe get help on rent while doing the buildout,” explained Laura. “That’s a stressful process during the buildout and paying rent without income can be challenging.
“I wish I would have gone back and advocated for myself and what my business was going through to get open.”
Laura also said that she could have received financial assistance to get her business up and running and thus ease her financial burden just a little.
“I also didn’t realize that there were grants available that I could have applied for, not only through the local village, but potentially the state that could have helped me get started,” continued Laura. “Although I was able to do it on my own, I definitely know it would have helped me a little bit to get off the ground a little bit easier.”
