When Level99 first announced its launch in 2021, nobody knew quite how to describe the entertainment venue built in a former Sears store at the Natick Mall.
Four years later, it’s not much easier to describe the concept, which features more than 50 unique challenges for patrons to choose from. The phrase “first-of-its-kind” can be overused in the business world, but it’s an apt description for the tech-infused destination requiring players to work together (or sometimes against one another) to complete a wide variety of engaging tasks.
The business is the brainchild of DuPlessie, who put his Harvard MBA and mechanical engineering degree from MIT to good use by inventing Level99 from scratch. The concept has received the support of heavy hitters in the business world, including Panera Bread founder Ron Shaich, who is backing the company via his investment vehicle ACT III Holdings.
Despite its difficult-to-describe nature, Level99 has clearly been a hit, drawing more than 400,000 in 2023. After the success of the Natick location, Level99 opened a Providence location in 2024.
Not resting on his laurels, DuPlessie has his eyes set on expanding beyond the borders of New England with three new locations, including one in the entertainment mecca of Disney Springs, Florida.
Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.
