Alamo Drafthouse :: Franchise Page

Alamo Drafthouse Franchise Info

FRANCHISE FACTS:

Investment Requirements: The estimated initial investment for a single Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is between $1,275,000 and $2,025,000, including a $75,000 franchise fee. Area developers pay a development fee of $10,000 for each venue that is credited to the franchise fee due for each additional venue.

Royalties: Royalties are five percent (5%) of gross sales with a half-percent contribution to a marketing fund.

Earnings Claims: Our Franchise Disclosure Document (“FDD”) contains financial performance representations as well as a complete Earnings Claim section including audited financial statements of both the company-owned locations and the Franchisor. Revenue and admissions data is also provided for all units. The FDD will be provided to those applicants meeting our application requirements. Please begin the application process by clicking here.

Average Unit Sales Volume: $5.49 million was the 2007 Average Gross Sales of Venues opened at least 24 months.

Revenue Streams: Ticket Sales, Food and Beverage Sales, Special Event Sales, Private Event Rental, Merchandise Sales.

Who are we looking for? Because of its unique niche as a cinema-eatery, the Alamo Drafthouse concept is particularly well-suited for individuals or investment groups who have prior or current experience owning/operating multi-unit restaurant concepts as well as those with prior or current theatre experience. The Alamo concept can be a retrofit of existing theatres, build-out of a retail shell or be built from the ground-up.

Locations: Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas currently has seven locations operating and two under construction. There are four units in Austin, Texas (three of which are franchise-owned); one company-owned location in Houston and also in nearby Katy and one franchise-owned venue in San Antonio. Franchised theatres under construction include McAllen, Texas and Winchester, Virginia.

State Registration: We are currently offering franchises in all of the states in the U.S., except Alaska, Hawaii, South Dakota and North Dakota.

Exclusive Territories: All franchise agreements provide for exclusive territories.

Two Investor Profiles: We’re offering the Alamo Drafthouse franchise opportunity to two investor profiles: Unit Franchisees and Area Developers. Whether your goal is to own one unit or to build a dining and Entertainment Empire, we’ll work with you to craft the investment that meets your goals.

REAL ESTATE INQUIRIES

The average Alamo Drafthouse facility will house seven screens in 28,000 square feet of space. Your theatre may vary in size between four and ten screens, with seating capacity of up to 1,300 customers at one time. Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas are typically located in commercially zoned shopping or entertainment areas in major metropolitan markets and college towns.

The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema concept is viewed as an entertainment destination for life-style center real estate developers. The 20,000 to 35,000 square foot size is attractive to developers because it is smaller than the traditional 20 screen multiplex. In addition, our off-peak parking times are attractive to adjacent shopping tenants.

Alamo prototypes include new-build or refurbishment of existing big-box space. Current models include both sloped-floors and state-of-the-art stadium seating. You can choose to either own or lease the real estate. Theatres are designed so they are not considered “special-use”. Let us show you how.

If you know of a location that would be ideal for an Alamo location, be it a new-build or retrofit, please contact us by clicking the link below.

Real Estate Inquiries

SPOTLIGHT ON SUPPORT

When you become part of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas franchise family, you’ll benefit from a well-planned lineup of support services.

Comprehensive Training: Training will cover the areas of administrative procedures, unit operations and maintenance, product ordering, suggested pricing guidelines, sales/marketing, promotions and much more. You or your management team will take part in on-the-job training which will give you hands-on familiarity with operating an Alamo Drafthouse franchise. An experienced field manager from Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas will be on hand to provide on-site assistance both before and after your grand opening,

Film Booking: We’ll provide turn-key film booking support to keep you in the pipeline of the most up-to-date Hollywood releases specifically tailored to your market.

Site Selection: We’ll provide you with guidelines and advice for choosing an appropriate location for your franchise.

Pre-Show: The Alamo Media Department will send you our unique pre-show reel that is a hallmark of the Alamo brand. Each pre-show reel is tailored to the specific film your showing. The pre-show will entertain your guests before the show and highlight your special event programming and other promotions. No obnoxious outside advertisements or stale slide shows at the Alamo.

Special Event and Film Festival Support: Special events and film festivals have made the Alamo famous. We will provide special event and film festival consulting to help you create and produce your own special events. We will facilitate the sharing of best practices and revenue-generating ideas among the members of the Alamo Drafthouse franchise system.

Purchasing: You will receive the benefit of any volume pricing options we negotiate for the benefit of all members of the Alamo Drafthouse franchise system.

Operations Manual: You’ll receive an in-depth operations manual that’s packed with information on operating an Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas franchise. This detailed “script” is well-organized to provide you with a quick reference to procedures, policies and much more.

Marketing Assistance: We’re adept at marketing the Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas concept and will share our expertise with you. All members of our franchise system will have access to professionally produced advertising materials for use on the local level.

Ongoing Operational Support: You’ll benefit from ongoing training and support in operations and marketing. If you ever have questions or need assistance, we’re only a phone call or an email away. Plus, a trained regional field manager will visit your location to provide any help you may require.

Disclaimer: None of the communications made through this web page should be construed as an offer to sell any Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, Ltd. franchises in, nor is any such communication directed to, the residents of any jurisdiction requiring registration of the franchise before it is offered and sold in that jurisdiction. No Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, Ltd. franchises will be sold to any resident of such jurisdiction until the offering has been exempted from the requirements of, or duly registered in and declared effective by, such jurisdiction and the required Franchise Disclosure Document (if any) has been delivered to the prospective franchisee before the sale in compliance with applicable law. If you have any questions concerning the registration status of franchises in your jurisdiction, please contact us. We are not currently offering franchises in the following U.S. states; Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota and South Dakota.