When you sit down in an Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, you aren’t there just to watch a movie. You are here for an experience that can’t be found at any other movie theater. From celebrating classic cinema every Sunday to costumes-encouraged new release screenings to delicious movie-inspired menus that pair perfectly with feature films, there’s always something new, creative, and exclusive happening at each Alamo Drafthouse location.
The Origins of Alamo Drafthouse
The story of the iconic Alamo Drafthouse Cinema begins with two cinephiles (film fanatics), Tim and Karrie League, who were inspired by their mutual adoration of great food, great drinks, and great films to create a revolutionary style of theater. A theater that didn’t just show the latest Hollywood releases, but re-visited cult classics, highlighted indie film gems, and created a sense of community. The dynamic entrepreneurs moved to Austin, Tx, from Bakersfield, California, after their first movie theater venture didn’t pan out.
“We didn’t know anything about the exhibition industry when we started. The location in Bakersfield wasn’t the right spot. It was a depressed part of town with a high crime rate. I didn’t go to business school and had leaped forward without knowing that all-important mantra: The three most important things about business are location, location, location, and we failed on all three. When we arrived in Austin, securing the right location became the most important thing.”
- Tim League
In the booming university town with a burgeoning film scene, they found their perfect location. Tim and Karrie’s first theater location opened on 409 Colorado Street in Austin; it had one screen, sold discounted tickets, and focused on becoming a quintessential art house. They celebrated cult classics, indie films, and new releases with fervor and creativity. A fellowship of film lovers was born that didn’t just want to sit quietly and watch a film but craved to feel involved and connected with each other.
The counterculture of the 90s in Austin welcomed the League’s creative vision with open arms. Soon Alamo Drafthouse Cinema was the dine-in theater to go to for young college students, families, and all Austinites. After their second location in Austin, Alamo Drafthouse Village opened in 2001, did equally as well; it was off to the races!
In 2004, the Leagues were offered an opportunity to implement a franchise model, and after many talks, they knew that it was the right thing to do for the company. This move allowed the dynamic brand of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema to expand past the Austin market into the nation. Now film lovers and food lovers alike can enjoy an incredibly unique dinner and movie experience from coast to coast!
The Ethos of Alamo Drafthouse
What sets Alamo Drafthouse Cinema apart from other dine-in theaters is the embrace of the weird, eclectic, and funky. The line-ups of films screened at each location are carefully curated with the movie-goer's experience in mind. With that mindset, even the pre-shows at Alamo are a tailored experience rather than just a series of trailers for upcoming films and concession commercials.
Before your film begins, you may enjoy a collection of cinematic oddities and found footage collections that coordinate with your upcoming film or a short clip with words from the director. “Edu-tainment” is also a core value within the Alamo Drafthouse circle. There is a strong connection between appreciating a film and learning about the process of its creation.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema also shines by utilizing “off-peak” days to rotate in more deep-cut classic and indie film genres. When other theaters are still promoting the latest new release on a Tuesday night, Alamo is offering a Tuesday night rotating series embracing classic horror films, aka Terror Tuesdays. Or the infamous Champagne Cinema series, a loving look at all films with more romance in mind. Giving movie-goers of all tastes a reason to keep coming even if they’ve seen all the new releases this season.
And last but not least, in priorities, Alamo cares just as much about the dining experience as the movie-enjoying experience. The Leagues brought in highly trained and talented chefs early on to create a staple multi-course menu to become the backbone of their brand’s offerings. This elevated the dine-in theater experience from quick fried food options to fresh and satisfying meals.
Drafthouse isn’t in the name for fun; each location boasts a large selection of beers on tap as well as custom cocktail and wine options. Both the food and drink menu leaves room for culinary creativity to be explored when the opportunity arises for a menu to match a new movie release or a specific screening series launching! A few examples are a burger shop takeover for the Bob’s Burger Movie release or an all-Pakistani menu curated by Kumail Nanjiani for The Big Sick.
Triple Tap Ventures and Alamo Drafthouse
Falling in love with the brand’s ethos and mission, Triple Tap Ventures joined the ranks of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s franchisees as soon as possible! Our core values of building pride in who you are and what you do is exactly what we saw in Alamo Drafthouse. A pride in celebrating unique and fantastic films, food, and people, all while valuing the customer and employee experience equally.
Triple Tap operates four Alamo Drafthouse Cinema locations with the same level of care and dedication to originality as the very first Alamo Drafthouse ever opened. Under the Triple Tap Ventures umbrella, there are two movie theater locations in El Paso, Texas, one in Lubbock, Texas, and the other in Houston, Texas. Each one swells our team with pride. The staff at every location is passionate about serving the surrounding communities delicious food while they enjoy exceptional movie options.
Alamo Drafthouse is the home for cult classic lovers, sci-fi junkies, thrill-seeking horror groupies, hopeless romantics, and everyone in between and that’s what we love about it. No matter what audience you relate to most, you’ll find your people in the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s seats, cheers-ing to another cinematic adventure every night of the week!