From Daydreams to TripAdvisor #1: Fun and Games in London at Fox in a Box London
We signed up to TripAdvisor in 2019 and—four years of thrilling guests later—Fox in a Box London now proudly ranks #1 in TripAdvisor’s Fun and Games in London category.
Nearly eight years ago, I was daydreaming in a restaurant in sunny Nice, playing with my food and pushing the broccoli and peas to one side. To pass the time, I went online to look for great group activities we could all do. That’s when I came across Fox in a Box – and where this one-hell-of-a-journey started. Good thing I don’t eat my greens! After the most incredible experience and fuelled with curiosity, I flew to Stockholm to enquire about becoming a franchisee and, four months later, I was one.
When I signed, I was full of bravado, telling everyone that we would be #1 on TripAdvisor; we even started a blog series to track our journey. Admittedly, we weren’t consistent with the blog. However, Shola Thomas signed us up to TripAdvisor in 2019, starting out at #475. Four years later, we finally did it. Fox in a Box London now ranks #1 in the Fun and Games in London category (out of 850).
Escape Room Dreams (or Is That Nightmares?)
Alright, so picture this: I've had this grand fantasy of hitting the top spot, snagging that coveted #1 position. I've rehearsed that moment in my dreams more times than I've said Mr Fox – but truth be told, when it finally happened, it was about as thrilling as a wet sock on a busy commute to work. No cash raining down, no confetti shower – just me, a mop, and a loo to scrub. Glamorous, right?
I'm still knee-deep in the grind, folks. Putting in the long hours, yes, toilet duty, the whole shebang. Work-life balance? Not quite yet. I'm immersed in so many tasks, but you know what? I wouldn't trade it for the world!
Sure, it's a struggle, and waving goodbye to toilet duty sounds dreamy. But this rollercoaster ride has me screaming with excitement. It's been one heck of a crusade. So, here's to my fairy tale and the magic of the journey!
It’s not the fact that we’re #1. It’s that four years ago we set ourselves a challenge, and—despite every obstacle that was put in front of us—we persevered. Oh, we really persevered! Ultimately, hitting the top spot really puts the saying ‘it’s about the journey not the destination’ into perspective.
What Doesn’t Kill Mr Fox Makes Him Stronger!
Back in 2019, just days before the start of the makeover on our humble abode, one of our lease finance partners withdrew their funding, bailing on us like a Tinder date might after finding out you're a cat person! The result was that on the day the business opened its doors, we were already in our overdraft. With no money for marketing, we had to ‘hustle it’. From cold calling to dressing up as Mr Fox to handing out flyers in busy areas, we had to fight for survival in those early days. Because let's face it, when life gives you lemons and zero marketing budget, you gotta squeeze those lemons and make some guerrilla marketing lemonade!
But remember, this was 2019 (the year that kept on giving), so you know what happened next… just as we started to gain traction, the pandemic forced us to close our doors. Talk about timing…
We never threw in the towel. We never spoke of quitting. Our Fox in a Box family is made of some seriously stern stuff! With grit, determination, and maybe a little bit of caffeine-induced delirium, we rolled up our sleeves and persevered.
On paper, we’re not supposed to be here – let alone at #1! We’ve sacrificed. We’ve cried. And we’ve picked ourselves up after countless falls. We pivoted, we adapted, we improvised – we did every goddamn thing we could! And here we are. It didn’t just happen – we made it happen. We manifested this into existence, and that’s a truly powerful feeling.
I want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to everyone who played a part in this success (big or small). Thank you! Here’s to manifesting more goals in 2024 and beyond.
So, as you embark on your own adventures, remember: it's not just about reaching the destination, but the incredible journey that gets you there. And whenever you're in need of some fun and games in London, treat yourself to the best – because you deserve it.
BOOK NOW with Fox in a Box to experience London’s best escape rooms – and discover the reasons why we’ve made it to #1 on TripAdvisor.
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