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The pair are now using the £150,000 investment from the North East Growth Capital Fund Loan Fund Supported by The European Regional Development Fund to open a Bishop Auckland site. The 6,000 sq ft venue, which will open in July, is almost twice the size of the original and spreads over two floors with gaming and simulators, gaming PCs and consoles as well as racing stations with 65-inch screens.
A private party area and catering will be available, while customers will be able to hire out the venue for private and corporate events. Rachel and Kaiyn Crooks worked with regional fund management firm NEL Fund Managers to bring in the Growth Capital Fund investment, while Andy Briggs of business growth specialists IA Growth has been supporting them with preparing and implementing their growth strategy.
Around a dozen jobs will be created at the new space, taking the total number of employees to 24. Further plans are now in place for a third venue with hopes of opening one by the end of the year.
Rachel Crooks said: “The idea behind The Gaming Hideaway was to offer a cost effective destination venue that would offer something for people of all ages and would enable families to spend quality time together.
“Bringing all these advanced gaming technologies together under one roof is something that hadn’t been done before, but the success of our Thornaby venue has shown that we’ve got the concept right and we’re excited to now be bringing it to County Durham.”
She added: “We met NEL at last year’s Start Up Awards North East and quickly struck up a really good working relationship. Their enthusiasm for our ideas was clear and completing the investment application process was a very positive experience.”
Jane Siddle, senior investment executive at NEL Fund Managers, said: “Rachel and Kaiyn have proved that their concept for The Gaming Hideaway appeals to every generation at their first facility, and we’re very pleased to be helping them launch it on an even bigger scale in Bishop Auckland.”
Andy Briggs of IA Growth added: “Working with the team at The Gaming Hideaway has been refreshing and they certainly have an energy and passion for creating a top-class family environment. We’ve created a bespoke business plan and are now helping with the implementation as well as supporting their funding application.”
