Two theatre chains, both alike in business model, in fair Travis County where we lay our scene. It’s not exactly the Montagues and the Capulets, but there’s been an unexpected switch between two locally-based cinema companies that specialize in in-theatre dining.
On one side is the Alamo Drafthouse: Founded in 1997 in Austin as a single-screen cinema and still headquartered here, it’s currently owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and has a total of 40 locations nationwide, including five in Austin.
On the other is Flix Brewhouse: Founded in Round Rock in 2011 as the world’s only brewpub/first-run cinema, it’s also expanded to become a nationwide presence, with 15 locations nationwide from Texas to Indiana.
Here’s the thing: Up until last Saturday, four of those Flix Brewhouse locations were Alamos, operated under a franchise agreement by Houston-based hospitality group Triple Tap Ventures. The four sites – Houston, Lubbock, and two in El Paso – will now be owned and operated by Flix.
The change in ownership and branding comes as the Drafthouse is already facing heavy criticism for its shift away from a pen-and-paper ordering system for food and beverages to phone ordering – the same kind of system that Flix already uses.
Customers at the four theatres were caught off-guard over the weekend when the Alamo website announced that these locations were closing immediately. Future ticket sales would be refunded, as would Drafthouse Season Pass subscriptions on a pro-rated business. The Drafthouse statement thanked the staff and clients at those sites and stressed that they hoped to “return to these communities in the future.”
Rumors quickly spread that all four cinemas would be reopening under new management, and now Flix has confirmed that Triple Tap has transferred those sites to the smaller chain. The current plan is to reopen all the rebranded theatres on Feb. 23, just in time for the release of Scream 7.
Explaining the sale, Triple Tap CEO Neil Billingsley-Michaelsen said that once his company had decided to move out of theatres and concentrate on other aspects of its portfolio, they started looking for bids on those theatres. When assessing offers, he explained, “It was clear that the guests first culture of Flix Brewhouse truly stood out. We’re profoundly grateful for the loyalty of all our Alamo guests and confident they are in good hands with Flix.”
Echoing those sentiments, Flix CEO Chance Robertson thanked the Triple Tap team and called the acquisition “a natural extension of who we are and what we believe in.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to note that the Drafthouse was founded in 1997, not 1987. The Chronicle regrets the error.