Alamo Drafthouse Offers Dinner And A Movie
Alamo Drafthouse is not your typical movie theater. The Austin, Texas-based cinema eatery has gained a cult following over the last 11 years for showing both first-run and obscure art-house films while offering guests a made-to-order menu that goes beyond popcorn and candy. Now seven-unit Alamo is ready to expand its laid-back, campy brand outside Texas.
“Customers think of us as a movie theater that has full-service restaurants in the auditoriums,” says President and CEO John Martin, a former film industry executive. “The secret is we’re a high-volume restaurant that shows movies, but that’s internal. The outward brand is that we’re a movie chain.” Martin bought the then three-unit concept in 2004, then worked on getting Alamo ready for franchised expansion.
Because each Alamo serves up to 900 meals a day, Martin developed a proprietary system so the kitchen doesn’t get slammed. The formula involves staggering movie showings and figuring out which films will be blockbusters.
To keep the menu large but manageable, Martin removed labor-intensive, costly items including fish, steak and ribs, and reduced the number of pizzas and salads by half. The resulting menu features six or seven salads and 11 sandwiches, as well as appetizers, desserts, wines and about 120 to 130 beers.
Martin says food and labor costs have decreased since making these changes but won’t quantify. More.
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