We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Katie Dufort. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Katie below.

Hi Katie, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

We are a first to market hybrid of the popular escape room and the tried and true scavenger hunt. One would assume escape room aficionados would flock to us…they don’t…or scavenger hunts would be a draw. In truth, neither is our customer. We are purposefully low-tech and use vintage technology and child-like clues as they appeal to all ages (5 to 95!) and that’s NOT what escape room players want. Likewise, current scavenger hunts are on apps, unguided and low tech…the opposite of us. Due to this – our keyword is “fun thing to do” and that’ means we’re competing against huge companies with lots of advertising dollars like Top Golf. It’s hard to grow your profit margin when you’re competing against those kinds of dollars

Katie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

In 2016, I bought a few 6 passenger golf carts with a friend to use as local taxis. Almost immediately, the friend left me hanging – and I had no desire to drive a golf cart from bar to bar at night! I rented them out to drivers and experimented with different ways to utilize the carts as shuttles…and one Christmas, happened on the idea of giving “Sleigh Rides” to look at Christmas lights. We sold out, and I brainstormed other possible tour ideas. A visit to a local escape room for my daughter’s birthday hatched the idea of Puzzle Rides – and we were due to open March 13, 2020. Welp, Scottsdale shut down on March 12th due to Covid. I called a friend in my old hometown, Prescott, 100 miles away, and we opened there in July 2020 as a private, outdoor experience. We grew steadily, and opened in Scottsdale in October 2020. In January 2021, I decided to sell my doll & antique collections to raise funds to get us through a traditionally slow month when my mother died unexpectedly. We moved my aged father into our home…and everything took off.
Since then, we have designed and implemented 6 unique Puzzle Rides for each location, for ages 5-95. We have 6 Puzzling Pub Crawls for the 21+ crowd, a Puzzle Relay for corporate teambuilding for up to 100 people, and our new Puzzle Route will debut this winter for up to 200 people. We are preparing to franchise, and it’s an exciting time for us!

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Back in 2016, I was newly divorced. A friend suggested we buy a golf cart…or rather *I* buy a golf cart he’d use. I cashed out my 401k, and bought three golf carts…and financed two more in 2017. From that point forward, I was bootstrapped-what I made went right back in. In 2020 when I developed Puzzle Rides, I knew I had an idea I could raise capital for – but it was the start of the pandemic, and no one was willing. So we continued to bootstrap-and just never stopped.
We are *just now* putting together our first capital raise as we begin the franchising process.
Bootstrapping is always an option – you have to work hard, but it’s worth it!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My mom died unexpectedly at age 70 in January 2021, and my 81 year old father with Parkinson’s came to live with us. In January 2022, he weakened considerably and became completely bedridden. In addition to growing the business, I took on his personal care; including changing diapers. He died in May 2022, and I am forever glad that despite an incredibly demanding business, I could care for my dad. Add to all of this, my husband had a traumatic brain injury in 2018, shortly after we married. He has been unable to hold down a job since, and has struggled with life. In promising to care for him, I’ve learned how to forgive and extend grace in ways I never thought possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.puzzlerides.com
• Instagram: @puzzlerides
• Facebook: Facebook.com/puzzleridesscottsdale
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/puzzleruckus/
• Twitter: Lol NO SMALL BUSINESS SHOULD BE ON TWITTER 🤩

Image Credits
Puzzle Rides