Dine-In cinema chain Alamo Drafthouse will return to the Dallas-Fort Worth and Twin Cities markets this summer. The news comes after six locations in those markets shuttered earlier this summer following a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing from a franchisee. Those six locations will now reopen, owned and operated directly by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. The theaters set to reopen include DFW’s Cedars, Denton, Lake Highlands, Las Colinas, and Richardson locations, as well as the Woodbury location in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. Additionally, Alamo Drafthouse announced via a press release that it would compensate all affected venue staff with lost wages they were owed prior to the closures.
“We were heartbroken to hear about the franchisee’s decision to close their locations in Dallas-Fort Worth and Woodbury, MN, but we immediately got to work to acquire these as Alamo Drafthouse-owned locations,” said Alamo Drafthouse CEO Michael Kustermann. “We’re so excited to reestablish Alamo Drafthouse Cinema for our teammates and local film communities in these great cities during an incredibly successful summer of moviegoing.”
The circuit will also be offering staff of the affected locations first access to interviews for open positions. Those who are rehired will receive a more robust benefits plan with immediate eligibility, including access to daily pay, substantial 401k match, paid medical leave, accrued PTO, and free mental health services.
Alamo Drafthouse will host a soft opening during the first week of each location’s reopening with promotions and discounts to be announced. Additionally, individuals owed ticket refunds due to the sudden closings by the previous owners will receive free ticket vouchers, and guests who previously purchased Alamo Drafthouse’s Inside Out 2 lunch box and Deadpool & Wolverine pint glass will receive these items upon reopening.
Finally, members of Alamo Drafthouse’s Season Pass subscription service will enjoy a free month of service when their accounts are reactivated.
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema recently announced that SPE had acquired Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. The company is managed within SPE under a newly established division, Sony Pictures Experiences, headed by Alamo Drafthouse’s CEO Michael Kustermann under the leadership of Ravi Ahuja, President and COO of SPE. Alamo Drafthouse continues to operate all 41 of its cinemas across 25 metro areas under the Alamo Drafthouse brand. Alamo Drafthouse-owned Fantastic Fest, the world-renowned genre film festival, was included in the acquisition and also continues to be operated by Alamo Drafthouse.
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