Jest Murder Mystery Company

Name

Jest Murder Mystery Company

Legal name

Jest Murder Mystery Co.

Website

https://jestmurdermystery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Interactive Entertainment

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sketch Comedy Shows (MPAGACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Supper Clubs & Dinner-Theater Restaurants (THAFACAL), Performers & Specialty Acts Booking (Magicians, Comedians, Circus, Variety) (HSACAHAB)

Keywords

• Murder mystery dinner theater
• Interactive entertainment services
• Corporate team building events
• Private party entertainment
• Virtual murder mystery

Headquarters

HQ city

Alton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Live Event Entertainment Services: The company generates revenue by providing professional murder mystery entertainment at private and public events. Pricing is quote-based, determined by date, location, and group size. They also host public ticketed events at partner venues.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Jest Murder Mystery Company is a live entertainment provider that produces and performs interactive murder mystery dinner theater experiences. Professional comedic actors are dispatched to customer-chosen venues, where they guide guests through scripted storylines with improvisational elements woven between meal courses. The company delivers private parties, corporate events, team-building engagements, nonprofit fundraisers, and ticketed public performances, with a nationwide roster of local actor troupes serving 49 of 50 US states.

Product overview

Jest Murder Mystery Company offers a single unified product: live, interactive murder mystery dinner theater entertainment. The core offering consists of professional actors performing comedic murder mystery shows that unfold around dining tables, with audience participation. The product portfolio includes variations for different occasions: Corporate Events and Team Building Events for workplace gatherings, Private Parties for personal celebrations, Fundraiser Events for nonprofits, and Christmas/Holiday Parties for seasonal celebrations. Virtual Parties delivers the same experience remotely via Zoom. Public Shows enables ticketed events at partner venues. Each show includes themed variations (e.g., 'Bullets in the Bathtub', 'A Dickens of a Killing') that determine the storyline and character settings. All products share the same interactive format—professional actors guide guests through three acts of comedy and mystery between meal courses—differentiated primarily by event type, theme selection, and delivery format (in-person vs. virtual).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Murder Mystery Dinner Shows Live, interactive murder mystery comedy shows performed by professional actors around meal service. Guests become characters in the story, participate in solving the mystery, with performances woven between meal courses at any customer-chosen venue.
• Corporate Events Murder mystery entertainment designed for corporate gatherings including holiday parties, team celebrations, and company events, with workplace-appropriate humor. Trusted by Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Pfizer, Ford, and Capital One.
• Private Parties Interactive murder mystery experiences for private celebrations including milestone birthdays, anniversaries, rehearsal dinners, family reunions, engagement parties, graduation parties, retirement celebrations, and holiday gatherings for 15-150+ guests.
• Team Building Events Interactive murder mystery events designed to foster teamwork, collaboration, and communication among team members through shared laughter and problem-solving activities.
• Fundraiser Events Murder mystery entertainment for nonprofit fundraisers and charity events designed to engage donors and create memorable fundraising experiences.
• Christmas Parties Holiday-themed murder mystery entertainment for Christmas celebrations with festive themes including 'A Dickens of a Killing', 'Harm for the Holidays', 'The Christmas Killer', and 'The Anti-Claus'.
• Holiday Parties Murder mystery entertainment for year-end holiday celebrations with inclusive themes that work for diverse groups regardless of specific holiday traditions.
• Virtual Murder Mystery Parties Professionally hosted live virtual murder mystery parties conducted via Zoom platform, allowing remote teams and geographically distributed groups to participate in interactive entertainment.
• Public Ticketed Shows

Quantifiable outcome

• 82% RSVP rate reported for company holiday party (typically unheard of for boring events)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Maggiano's Little ItalycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2012Maggiano's Little Italy has been booking Jest for public and private events since 2012. The restaurant reports that Jest goes above and beyond to make guests feel special and keeps all guests laughing.
• Grafton Winery & BrewhausminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2010Grafton Winery & Brewhaus has been booking Jest for several years. Jest performs twice a year at this venue, which has been described as a wonderful ongoing partnership.
• Eckert'scoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2009Eckert's Belleville Country Store & Restaurant has been booking Jest since 2009. They utilize unique promotional tactics including placing 8.5x11 flyers in all bathroom stalls. They offer multiple private event rooms including the Country Restaurant Banquet Room and Cider Shed.
• Pere Marquette LodgecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2007Pere Marquette Lodge has been booking Jest since 2007, typically hosting 3-7 Murder Mystery Dinners per year, selling out about a month in advance. Located in Grafton, IL along the Great River Road. Ticket price is $60 per ticket inclusive. They create information binders for front desk staff to handle guest questions about events.
• The Lemp MansionflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2006The Lemp Mansion has been booking Jest for public shows every Friday and Saturday night since 2006. As of 2022, they have performed over 1,700 shows at this venue. The venue is a famous historic St. Louis landmark that attracts customers specifically for Jest's murder mystery dinners. Ticket prices at this venue are $71.95 plus taxes and fees.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Escape Game: National escape room chain offering interactive group entertainment for corporate team building and private celebrations. Competes for the same experiential team-building and group-outing budget that Jest targets, but with a fixed-venue model.
• TeamBuilding: Large virtual and in-person team-building events marketplace and provider. Competes for the same enterprise team-building budget that Jest serves, but with a catalog-driven platform model and broader activity mix.

Direct peers

• Killer Mystery Dinner Theater: Traveling murder mystery dinner theater company offering interactive shows for corporate events, private parties, and fundraisers. Directly comparable turnkey entertainment service targeting the same customer occasions as Jest.
• The Dinner Detective: Largest US murder mystery dinner theater franchise, operating interactive comedy mystery shows at hotels and restaurants nationwide. Most direct competitor to Jest in format, audience, and B2B/birthday party customer mix.
• The Murder Mystery Company: National provider of interactive murder mystery dinner shows for corporate and private events. Direct competitor offering the same turnkey professional-actor delivery model as Jest across multiple US markets.
• WhoDunnit Mystery Plays: Long-running interactive murder mystery dinner theater provider performing at restaurants and for private parties. Comparable scripted-show, audience-as-cast format serving similar customer occasions.
• Murder Mystery Players: Provider of interactive murder mystery dinner theater for corporate and private events with themed shows. Closely comparable format (comedic, scripted + improv, audience participation around dining) targeting the same enterprise and private-party segments as Jest.

Emerging players

• Let's Roam: App-led scavenger hunt and team-building activity provider serving corporate groups and private celebrations. Adjacent experiential group-entertainment offering competing for similar corporate team-building occasions.
• MindTrap Live: Interactive mystery and puzzle-based entertainment experience provider. Adjacent category (audience-participation mystery) targeting similar group entertainment occasions and corporate team-building buyers.

Regional players

• Dinner Theater Players (regional operators): Regional dinner-theater and interactive comedy-show operators (e.g., local improv troupes hosting scripted mystery nights) that compete with Jest in specific metros but do not operate nationally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8M6URIvd6-uDRm8XNCkr5w
• Facebookfacebook.com/jestmysteryco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jest-murder-mystery-company
• Instagraminstagram.com/jestmurdermystery
• TikToktiktok.com/@jestmurdermysteryco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jest Murder Mystery Company