By Zoe Branch | March 19, 2020 | Courtesy of 425Magazine.com
Photo courtesy Taylor Hernandez
Mystery started just over a year ago to help people get over that date-night slump, replacing Netflix with an evening full of unexpected activities that you’re whisked to via rideshare, not knowing where you’ll be or what you’ll do until you’re there doing it.
And just over a week ago, the startup, which serves the greater Seattle area, made a quick pivot to help its partners during the COVID-19 crisis. Today, it launched a new product: Mystery Night In.
“We’re starting to deliver tomorrow night,” said Emma Biskupiak, head of marketing for Mystery. The deliveries will follow Mystery’s typical format — featuring food, activities, and other cool surprises at four different price points — but everything will be enjoyable from the comfort of your quarantined home.
“It’s designed for two people — a date night in,” Biskupiak said. “For this first round, we have 10 different local small businesses that are participating, all of which have been hit hard by this crisis.”
Mystery made this shift not necessarily to keep itself afloat — Biskupiak said the company is fortunate to have the security of supportive investors — but to support its local partners in food service and entertainment that are facing more uncertainty right now.
“It’s been emotional to see the responses from the partners to see how excited they are to have the opportunity to evolve and adapt,” said Biskupiak, who explained that Mystery and its partners have chosen not to use third-party carriers like Uber Eats — which takes a big chunk of restaurant profits — but instead are employing displaced service workers to deliver Mystery Night In boxes in the greater Seattle area.
“The passion behind these businesses is just so clear,” Biskupiak said. “We just want to do our part to help them.”
To experience some of the magic made by these local businesses, you can head to Mystery and order one of its Date Night In boxes, which range from $125 to $200 for two people. It’ll keep your quarantine a little bit more interesting and you can take heart in knowing your dollars are going to small businesses that need support.