The movie-based “eatertainment” segment of foodservice has grown over the past several years as more theater brands have layered on dine-in food, including Leawood, Kan.-based AMC Theatres andDallas-based Studio Movie Grill.
Austin, Texas-based Alamo Drafthouse Cinema rose to No. 3 in the Next 20 report for U.S. foodservice sales growth and No. 11 in U.S. systemwide sales by appealing to customers with its special-events programming, menu expansion to include healthful options and growth into dense urban markets like New York and San Francisco.
Tim and Karrie League, themselves movie fans, founded Alamo Drafthouse in 1997 as a second-run theater in Austin, Texas. Alamo Drafthouse soon drew local fans like director Richard Linklater, known for movies such as “Slacker” and “Dazed and Confused.”
See profiles of the other Next 20 standout brands
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema posted $77.5 million in U.S. systemwide sales in the Latest Year, up from $53.5 million in the Preceding Year — a 44.9 percent increase year-over-year.
At the end of 2014, Alamo Drafthouse had 19 locations, with seven company-owned and 12 franchised. That was one more franchised unit than in the Preceding Year.
Keys to success
National growth: Alamo Drafthouse has expanded from Austin to elsewhere in Texas — Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Lubbock, San Antonio and New Braunfels — as well as across the nation to such communities as Ashburn and Winchester, Va.; Denver; Kansas City, Mo.; and Yonkers, N.Y. Alamo Drafthouse currently is working on restoring a theater in San Francisco.
The company this past year introduced a “skinny” menu with items all with fewer than 600 calories. Those include Mexican tofu quinoa bowl (566 calories, $10), spaghetti squash pomodoro (422 calories, $10) and chickpea salad (414 calories, $11). The brand also offers cocktails under 200 calories each.
Creative programming: Alamo creates food specials to pair with films, such as a themed menu for “Fifty Shades of Grey” or items like a Torch Burger for “Fantastic Four.” Susan Mobley, Alamo’s vice president of marketing, said, “We look at movie-going as a total experience. People’s tastes in food have gotten very sophisticated, and we want to keep pace with that.” The brand also creates special events, such promoting a showing of the thriller “Jaws” in a waterpark so viewers could watch from inner tubes.
Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected].
Follow him on Twitter: @RonRuggless