Mystery, the startup built around putting together a surprise night on the town for couples — or a surprise Night In during the health crisis — is expanding to Austin, Texas, its first market outside of Seattle.
The company, which launched in February 2019 and has raised $1.3 million, is traditionally focused on getting people out of the house for an activity, dinner, drinks, dessert and transportation. Users set preferences and communicate with Mystery through its app.
COVID-19 changed things up and Mystery pivoted to its Night In boxes in March. A specially curated box is sent to a buyer’s home and comes with dinner for two, an activity and a few other goods from local partners. The aim was to keep the business going and support Mystery’s partners whose businesses had been impacted by social distancing orders.
Mystery’s launch in Austin is kicking off with Night In.
“With the success of Night In and seeing the way it helped our Seattle partners, we figured a product focused on local love was a great way to introduce ourselves,” said Mystery marketing director Emma Biskupiak.
The Austin Night In experience features food, fun activities, and other thoughtful touches from vendors in the city. Biskupiak said Austin was among a list of cities Mystery was considering expanding into and called the city a “kindred spirit” to Seattle, where both are “driven by music and art, food and the outdoors” and “there’s also a similar value for a strong work/life balance, which is important for our products.”
Night In has attracted more than 20 small businesses and it’s keeping the small startup busy. Biskupiak said engineers having been taking advantage of the down time for the traditional Mystery product, so users can expect updates and improvements with the app and user experience when those open up again.
The company leans toward more intimate, small group environments for its experiences, so they’re confident people will be receptive to those “dates” sooner rather than later.
With Mother’s Day coming up on Sunday, Mystery is also doing a special box for moms, around the idea of pampering from home. The box won’t come paired with a meal, but it will feature small activities and treats from small businesses. And, for the first time, the Mystery product can be shipped anywhere in the country.
