Exploring Life & Business with Julie Hom of Legacy Escape Rooms

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Hom.

Hi Julie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in Orange County, and my story really begins with my family. I come from a long line of entrepreneurs—my grandparents immigrated to the U.S. with nothing, opened a grocery store, and went on to help other immigrants start and grow their own businesses. They played a pivotal role in building the Chinatown community in Los Angeles. I also grew up watching my parents run businesses and having many conversations about new ideas. They always encouraged me to think outside the box, to be resourceful, and to pursue opportunities. From them, I learned the importance of hard work, perseverance, and giving back.

That foundation inspired me to create something of my own that wasn’t just about business, but about connection and meaningful memories. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit—selling jewelry in high school, making hair ties in college, and my parents would drive and help me set up a booth at swap meets to sell these items. Those moments taught me a lesson I carry with me today: it’s not only about caring for people in the moment, but also about equipping them for the future—teaching them how to fish, not just giving them a fish.

Looking back, I can see how my passions naturally came together. Growing up, I loved designing houses in The Sims, being part of musical theater and designing sets, and spending hours playing board games with my family and friends. That mix of creativity, storytelling, and connection sparked the idea that eventually led me to open an escape room business.

I started Legacy Escape Rooms in 2018 and it grew out of all those influences. I opened the first escape room in Costa Mesa and today we have four immersive games. What I love most about this business is creating a space where families, friends, and groups can unplug, laugh, and truly connect—because in a world full of screens and distractions, those shared moments matter and the joy filled memories go beyond the walls of the business. It’s also become a place to invest in my team. Many of them are students and young adults who, over time, have grown in leadership, communication, and technical skills they’ll carry with them long after their time with us.

Looking back, what excites me most isn’t just the puzzles we’ve built—it’s the people. Building a business has been rewarding, but building people and creating lasting memories for others has been even more meaningful. That’s the heart of my journey, and the legacy I want to continue to grow.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like any business, there have definitely been bumps along the way. When I first opened Legacy Escape Rooms in 2018, hardly anyone knew what an escape room was. Imagine sitting down with the city and saying, “My business plan is to lock people in a room and they’re going to solve their way out—it’s going to be a lot of fun!” At the time, it sounded unusual to most people, so a big part of those early days was educating others—showing the community that escape rooms are safe, exciting, and designed to bring people together in a fun and memorable way.

And of course, like so many small businesses, COVID was one of the toughest challenges. Having to shut our doors for months was incredibly hard—not just financially, but because we had built something that thrives on bringing people together. Navigating those seasons taught me a lot about resilience and creativity, to find other ways for groups to still enjoy the games in a safe way.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
– Legacy Escape Rooms – Opened in 2018, First Escape Room in Costa Mesa.
– Our business mission statement: To leave a legacy of deepened relationships and cherished memories by offering enjoyable and engaging experiences for all our players.
– We specialize in creating immersive escape games that bring people together.
– We have four escape room games: CABIN 13, SUGAR RUSH, GEORGIE, and ZOMBIE RISING. Our games are fun and spooky, and we have one whimsical game. We’re constantly changing clues and things inside the games to make more fun AH Ha moments for our guests to enjoy. We’re known for having our 3 spooky rooms (Cabin 13, Georgie, and Zombie Rising) be a game where it’s a split start in the beginning – meaning, groups start off in smaller groups or rooms and have to work together to come back together – hopefully! And the game opens up further from there in terms of rooms. In all of our games, we like to have various surprises throughout the game to bring wow factors throughout their experience.
– Some special events we offer are, during October, for the spooky season, we have live actors in our games and during the holiday season, we also have an escape game called Grinchmas Carnival.
– I feel a strong sense of responsibility to steward the business well and see the business as a place and opportunity to also give back to the community – we offer escape room giveaways and promotions to encourage others to support donations – we do annual holiday food drives, during the CA fires we had food and clothing donation,
– What sets us apart, is we create our games in house, from the set design, and games and puzzles and clues. Another thing that makes us unique is the heart behind the business. We’re intentional about caring for both our guests and our team. For guests, that means creating an atmosphere that feels warm, welcoming, and thoughtfully designed—every detail of our games is built to spark joy and connection. For our team, it’s about growth and development. It truly stems out of passion to bring together- fun, games and people together. Another item that is unique to our escape games, is our games are private – we don’t pair groups with strangers or people outside of their group. We also adjust the games based on number of people to allow all different group sizes to enjoy playing.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that building a business is really about building people. The puzzles, the rooms, and the themes are fun, but what lasts is the impact you have on others. Whether it’s a family walking out with big smiles after creating a memory together, or a young team member growing in confidence and discovering their strengths, those are the things that matter most.

I’ve also learned the power of perseverance and adaptability. Starting a business that most people had never heard of back in 2018 meant a lot of educating and convincing. Then, facing challenges like COVID taught me resilience and reminded me that success isn’t about avoiding difficulties—it’s about how you navigate them and grow through them.

At the heart of it, the biggest lesson has been this: when you lead with care—whether for your guests, your team, or your community—the business becomes so much more than a business. It becomes a place of impact, and that’s the legacy I want to keep building. Legacy Escape Rooms the name comes from wanting to leave a legacy of positive impact and joy for all who encounter the business and for the impact to go beyond the walls of the business.

Pricing:

• We are open Monday-Sunday. For groups of 4 or more, it’s $39 per person.
• On Mon-Fri, Sun – Group of 2: Total $110, Group of 3: Total $148
• On Saturdays: Group of 2 or 3: $148 total

Contact Info:

• Website: https://LegacyEscapeRooms.com
• Instagram: @LegacyEscapeRooms
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LegacyEscapeRooms
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/legacy-escape-rooms-costa-mesa
• Other: https://maps.app.goo.gl/1Vhg5naWaxqqq43j7