Being stuck inside a room trying to figure your way out may sound a little too much like everyday life these days, but for Byron Delmonico, the entrepreneur behind RI Riddle Room escape room, he’s not only used to it: he makes it fun!

Delmonico first came to the RI Small Business Development Center in 2017 early on in his business for more routine support around bookkeeping and marketing. But when the pandemic hit, he looked to RISBDC for timely, relevant, and accurate information about small business programs and assistance.

With the support of RISBDC business consultant Josh Daly, Delmonico secured funds from the SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), and the Restore RI grant program through Commerce RI. These funds helped to stabilize and improve cash flow; cover rent and expenses; retain, hire, and train staff; and increase advertising—which Delmonico reports has been “crucial to our growth and letting people know we are open, clean, and safe.”

RI Riddle Room’s ability to pivot quickly has been impressive. At the start of the pandemic, they developed new virtual group games to be played at home. They were originally developing these games for corporate team building opportunities, but found a strong new market of customers stuck at home. Now, Delmonico says, as things have been opening back up, “being the one of the only venues offering small capacity, private group and in-person entertainment, we have experienced week-over-week growth.”

Delmonico adds, “Without the help received and the dynamic planning, we would not be in the position we are today. I can’t say enough positive things about these programs.”

Recently the RI Riddle Room launched their newest in-person game, Imaginasium of Intrigue, at their Warwick location. You can learn more about their current escape room offerings and COVID-19 procedures on their website at RIRiddleRoom.com.