By February, Southern Pines will be operating without three of its businesses â two of which have storefronts on Broad Street. Play Escape, The Estate of Things and Framerâs Cottage took to social media recently to announce their closures, all at least partly due to the economic stress caused by COVID-19.
Play Escape, a 4,200-square-foot indoor playground for children, will be closing its doors on January 31 after more than five years of birthday parties, rainy afternoon play times and field trips. Owned by Aslynn Rust, Play Escape first opened its doors in 2015 at 103 Perry Drive in Southern Pines.
The business remained closed under government restrictions until September, when Gov. Roy Cooperâs Phase 2.5 allowed indoor playgrounds to reopen.