A Thrilling Escape - Madison Home

In 2023, Madison business owner Guy Kitchell appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank to pitch his attraction and entertainment company, Thrill Builders. Guy was seeking a $250,000 investment for 20 percent of his company, which designs and builds escape rooms, haunted houses, laser tag, and minigolf courses. Although Guy’s company was already successful, his pitch was for a new addition to his business: building out a family entertainment center, complete with laser tag, minigolf, bowling, escape rooms, and arcade games. Guy secured a $300,000 deal with Lori Grenier, Kevin O’Leary, and Jason Bloom for 30 percent equity.

Since then, Guy’s dream has been realized in Madison’s Thrill Factory, located in East Towne Mall. The 50,000-square-foot former Gordmans department store is now an all-in-one, family-friendly entertainment hub that features the aforementioned attractions plus food and beverage service.

Before Guy appeared on Shark Tank, his concept was already in development. In 2022, Thrill Builders teamed up with Sketchworks Architecture (a previous collaborator) to begin designing Thrill Factory. Sketchworks handled the foundational aspects of the project, including layout, building and safety code review, and designing the interior shell. Thrill Builders then took over, applying their expertise in creating exciting themed spaces to complete the project. Thrill Factory opened in late 2024, adding a one-of-a-kind entertainment offering to the city.

“This was a unique experience, working on an entertainment space with all of these attractions,” says Nick Badura, project manager with Sketchworks. “There is a lot of complexity in making all of the parts work together for the customer and also within the limitations of the existing space. It involves balancing the customer experience along with easy access to supplies for staff and working with the existing utilities and structural components. It was fun thinking about what the customer experience would be  and optimizing that.”

As one would expect, the business interior features a riot of colors, lights, and things to see. A Zombie Town Shooting Gallery awaits with a creepy gargoyle perched nearby. The arcade buzzes with excitement, and Hyper Bowling is a sleek upgrade from a traditional, small-town alley. Tiny Turf Golf has a Honey, I Shrunk the Kids vibe with oversized insects and murals on the walls. The escape rooms offer brain-bending challenges, and the Shipwrecked Bar and Tiki Bar have food and drinks at the ready for patrons.

Lighting plays a crucial role in Thrill Factory in shaping the mood and atmosphere of the dining and entertainment spaces, highlighting each attraction. Hyper Bowling is bathed in vibrant, color-changing lights, while the Tiki Bar features twinkling string lights. Neon signage invites guests to explore each of the escape rooms.

Thrill Factory is poised to capitalize on the growth in family entertainment centers. According to GlobeNewswire, the international family entertainment center market grew from $43.36 billion to $52.35 billion in 2024. As individuals and families look for innovative ways to get out of the house, beyond malls and movie theaters (the former of which is declining in numbers, and the latter in ticket sales), Thrill Factory offers a well-designed and -executed experiential escape.

“This project was a unique opportunity for Sketchworks to collaborate with the creative team at Thrill Builders,” says Nick. “We hope it has great success and their model can be brought to other cities around the country.”