A unique new entertainment venue and lounge has debuted in downtown McKinney: Called The Cipher Lounge, it's an escape room-plus-restaurant and bar that combines food, cocktails, and escape-room experiences under one roof.

Located in a former flooring store at 101 S. Chestnut St., it celebrated its grand opening on August 15.

The Cipher Lounge is not your typical bar or escape room. The lounge boasts a sophisticated atmosphere with craft cocktails and upscale bites. Customers are encouraged to stop in before or after the escape room, but can also just come in for food and drink. (And to that end, the escape room lies behind hidden doors, so as not to detract from the lounge area.)

"Some nights you go out for a drink — here, you step into a story," their manifesto says. "The Cipher Lounge sits in Historic Downtown McKinney behind low light and art-deco lines, built for the kind of evening that unfolds slowly and rewards the curious. Settle in, order something you have never heard of, share a table full of small plates, and when the mood turns, disappear into a room made to be solved. Every visit is a code waiting to be cracked."

Escape room
There are two immersive escape experiences:

• "Ghosted." The fictional Phoenix Hotel, inspired by a haunted historic hotel tied to the mystery and history of McKinney, where players follow clues and uncover mysterious, paranormal secrets connected to the historic McKinney setting. "What starts as a simple tour through a forgotten hotel soon takes a dark turn as unexplained events unfold around you. Strange whispers, hidden clues, and restless spirits stand between your group and the truth."
• "Airlock." A futuristic space adventure taking place at a classified deep-space station that has gone dark, challenging players to take command and escape before time — and the air — runs out. "Chosen for your intelligence, teamwork, and nerve, you are dispatched to Airlock Station after contact with the original team was suddenly lost. What awaits inside is unknown."

A release notes that the concept offers a new way for tourists and visitors to experience the city of McKinney beyond its daytime attractions — adding a novel night-time component to the historic downtown McKinney Square and expanding the after-hours scene beyond food and drink with a combination of immersive entertainment, cocktails, interactive tastings, and storytelling.

Food
The menu features bites and shareable plates such as:

• charcuterie board with cheese and meats such as coppa and jamon serrano
• shrimp cocktail
• tuna crudo
• NY strip steak with chimichurri
• spinach & artichoke dip
• "martini" deviled eggs with olive juice and castelvetrano
• margherita flatbread and jamon & fig flatbread
• "banh mi"-style steak panini and chicken pesto panini

Drink
The bar features wine, beer, and cocktails such as an espresso martini with vanilla ice cream; mojito with blueberry and mint; and spicy bloody mary with candied bacon.

They have a special focus on gin, in drinks such as the one with rose gin, lychee, and lime; gin with chartreuse and Luxardo cherry; and a rose gimlet.

Adding another layer of discovery is "Who’s Who" — an interactive blind bourbon tasting designed to test palates and detective skills. During the experience, participants sample a blind flight of bourbons and read a mysterious story associated with each pour. They then attempt to match every bourbon to its correct tale, compare their answers, and settle the debate. Guests who successfully crack the lineup can win a voucher for a complimentary cocktail.

The experience is designed to turn a traditional bourbon tasting into a game of deduction, giving groups another reason to gather, compete, and have fun together.

Brainchild
The Cipher Lounge is the brainchild of Stephanie Roman, a former law enforcement professional who moved to McKinney with her husband two years ago. It combines some of her greatest loves including adventure, puzzles, and casual upscale lounging.

"I have always loved escape rooms, even as an adult," she says. "I previously worked at a highly stressful job and when I go out, I want to go to another planet."

Her goal was to create a one-of-a-kind space where people can socialize in an environment that's not like everything else, as well as a definitive step up from the sometimes-cheesy ambience found at many escape rooms. The facade is clad in slats of wood, while the interior features burnished wood tables, elegant chandeliers, velvet banquettes, plus a light-filled area with greenery and comfortable padded chairs.

She contracted with a third-party company to help build out the space, but the escape scenarios were entirely her vision. She's also hired an accredited team to make sure the food and drink are executed to a high standard.

"My idea was to pair an escape room with an upscale but casual bar and make it a place where anyone from 25 to 55 is going to be impressed," she says.