Instagram experiences survived the pandemic and are expanding
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The pandemic nearly killed those Instagram-ready pop-up experiences. Places like Color Factory and Museum of Ice Cream laid off employees as the world shut down, and they tried, seemingly unsuccessfully, to re-create their photogenic experiences online. But now, they're back, raising money, and opening new locations.
Color Factory tells The Verge it recently closed a $10 million fundraising round from private equity and angel investors, which it'll use to expand and hire people who help build the sites. Today, it's additionally announcing its next location: Chicago. It'll be opening a Color Factory in the Willis Tower, a major sightseeing destination that brings in nearly 2 million visitors a year on its own. The idea is clearly for...