Level99 is working to complete their West Hartford venue in the Corbin Collection for a fall 2026 opening.

Level99 and Two Roads Kitchen and Tap Room should be ready to open this fall in The Corbin Collection. Photo credit: Ronni Newton (we-ha.com file photo)

By Ronni Newton

The immersive entertainment venue Level99 will be opening later this fall in West Hartford, and has announced that the process of hiring roughly 100 employees will begin in late September.

Level99 will bring a first-of-its-kind business to the area – combining both dining and entertainment geared toward adults and teens in a sprawling 43,000-square-foot space on the second floor of The Corbin Collection at 1427 New Britain Avenue in the Corbin’s Corner area.

This second-floor space – which has an entrance next to Crumbl Cookie – has been vacant since the shopping center that replaced the former Sears store opened eight years ago. Level99 is exactly the type of occupancy the Town Council envisioned when it adopted an “experiential” zoning ordinance back in 2017 to accommodate changes in the national market, and with the hope of attracting businesses that combine recreation and dining to large vacant spaces.

Starship Evacuate game. Courtesy of Level99

The West Hartford location will be able to accommodate up to 600 players in the gaming arena, which features more than 50 real-world, interactive physical and mental challenges and mini-games. “Teams of 2 to 6 Players will dodge axes, crack puzzles, and outsmart timed physical and mental challenges,” states an announcement from Level99. “West Hartford will feature 44 Challenge Rooms and 6 Player-vs-Player Duels all designed by Level99’s in-house game design studio.”

“Axe Run” is the most popular of the games in Level99’s other locations, and the entire space is an immersive and artistic environment, highlighted by Level99’s “Hunt Art” game, which features dozens of original and locally-crafted art pieces with hidden Glyphs to be discovered.

Crystal Jump. Courtesy of Level99

Playtime can fuel an appetite – which can easily be satisfied at the adjoining Two Roads Kitchen and Tap. Level99 has partnered with the Connecticut-based Two Roads Brewing for the 250-seat restaurant and bar, which will feature “award-winning Detroit-style pizza, wagyu burgers, handcrafted cocktails, and local craft brews on tap,” according to the announcement.

All Level99 locations have an partnership with a dining establishment. Courtesy of Level99

“Want to work where you play?” Level99 asks. In advance of the opening, Level99 is looking to hire “approximately 100 competitive-wage positions in West Hartford spanning entertainment and food and beverage roles,” and is beginning the hiring process with four consecutive weeks of in-person job fairs, beginning Sept. 28.

The job fairs will be held at the hiring center, headquartered at the former Saks OFF 5th space, around the corner next to World Market in the same building in The Corbin Collection. Job fair events will run from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on the following dates:

• Sept. 28-Oct. 2 (Monday through Friday)
• Oct. 5-10 (Monday through Saturday)
• Oct. 12-17 (Monday through Saturday)
• Oct. 19-24 (Monday through Saturday)

According to Level99, “job listings and hiring event details will go live on the company website and Indeed on Sept. 18. Candidates can also view roles and apply directly at level99.com/careers.

Level99 is led by CEO and founder Matt DuPlessie, an engineer who attended MIT and Harvard Business School and worked for Disney and Universal Studios before forming the company 5 Wits. He later founded the Massachusetts-based production company Box Fort, which is now part of Level99, which is headquartered in Natick, MA. The business is backed by Act III Holdings, led by Panera founder and former Chair and CEO Ron Shaich, who is currently the chairman and lead investor of Cava, and a significant investor in other leading restaurant and entertainment businesses.

Hallway at Level99 at Disney Springs.
Photo Credit: Preston Mack / Level99 (courtesy photo)

Level99 continues to expand across the East Coast and nationally, and currently has four other locations – Natick, MA; Providence, RI; Tysons Corner, VA; and Disney Springs, FL. Plans are to open in Paramus, NJ; Raleigh, NC; and King of Prussia, PA in 2027. More information about Level99 can be found here.

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