Prison Island in Ostrava: franchisee considers further locations

The Prison Island gaming franchise could gain further locations in Czechia. Entrepreneur Jakub Bernady, who operates its venue at the Futurum shopping centre in Ostrava, is considering Brno, Plzeň and Slovakia. According to an article published by the business daily e15 on 1 November 2026, he has secured exclusive rights for Ostrava and the surrounding area. Further locations remain under consideration; no openings have been announced.

From Čeladná to team challenges in Ostrava

Bernady’s route into the gaming franchise business began with property development and leisure projects in the Beskydy mountains. He first built several houses in Čeladná before moving into entertainment. At the foot of Mount Smrk, he built a high ropes course with a bobsleigh track almost half a kilometre long. Prison Island therefore builds on his previous experience of running a project aimed at visitors looking for active leisure pursuits.

According to e15, he opened the Ostrava venue roughly a year before the November article was published. It is located in the Futurum shopping centre, just outside the city centre. This is therefore not a newly announced arrival in Ostrava, but an established operation that Bernady would like to build on with further venues.

According to e15, Prison Island is now his main focus. For those following the Czech franchise market, the key feature of this story is the combination of a local entrepreneur and an international concept: alongside his own projects, Bernady is developing a business under an established gaming brand. His plans should not, however, be mistaken for a confirmed expansion programme.

Two Czech locations within an international network

Prison Island is a team-based game built around a format familiar from the French television programme Fort Boyard. It is an experience-led concept, rather than another retail or food and beverage franchise. Its Czech presence is currently limited to two cities: alongside Ostrava, there is also a venue in Prague.

The Prague venue is run by Marwan Shazali, a Czech entrepreneur of Sudanese heritage. According to e15, he also opened a location in Dubai roughly two years before the article was published. The brand’s Czech presence is therefore not limited to Bernady’s Ostrava project: the Prague venue has a different operator, who is also active abroad.

At the time e15 prepared its article, the gaming franchise had 115 locations in 26 countries across five continents. The newspaper reports that the concept is doing particularly well in Europe, especially in France and the Netherlands. These figures describe the brand’s international reach, not the performance of its Czech venues. On their own, they say nothing about visitor numbers, revenue or return on investment in Ostrava or Prague.

The contrast between a large international network and just two Czech locations provides useful context for Bernady’s interest in other cities. It does not, however, automatically mean that every new location will offer the same conditions as the existing venues.

Brno, Plzeň and Slovakia remain possibilities

According to e15, Bernady is considering further venues in Brno, Plzeň and Slovakia. It is important to distinguish between interest in a particular city and a confirmed investment. The published information describes his intention to keep developing the business, rather than an opening schedule or specific premises that have been selected.

Bernady has secured exclusive rights for Ostrava and the surrounding area. This is important in understanding his current position within the network, but those rights should not be assumed to cover the whole of Czechia or his potential expansion abroad. The article does not mention equivalent arrangements for Brno, Plzeň or Slovakia.

The case illustrates two distinct aspects of franchise growth: operating an existing venue within an agreed territory and seeking further opportunities beyond it. Anyone considering a similar model should keep these separate. Experience in one city provides a starting point for future decisions, not confirmation of the conditions in another location.

Lessons to consider before investing

The e15 article notes that joining the franchise is not cheap. It does not, however, give a specific investment figure for Prison Island. Prospective partners should therefore avoid estimating the capital required from the number of international locations or simply from an existing operator’s interest in expanding.

The practical takeaway for anyone assessing the Czech franchise market is straightforward: Prison Island has two venues in the country, and its Ostrava franchisee is considering further growth. Before making a decision on a similar opportunity, prospective investors should verify the investment costs, premises requirements and precise scope of territorial exclusivity. Announced interest in a city is not the same as a confirmed venue.