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Hi everyone, another newbee here I wold like to make plans to open up a theater in a town of 175,000(200,000 within 10mile radius). I wanted to get you folks opinion if this would work and if its worth it. There are two theaters in town. One is a 1st run with ten screens, and the other is a 2nd run with also 10 screens(this theater only plays movies that are several months old. We would like to set are selves apart by offering good pizza and cheap cold beer. Of course other concession usuals as well, perhaps other entrees. The movie selection would consist of old school hits from the 70's 80's and 90's with diffrent categories every night of the week. I would like to offer discounts or free items for customers that ad us on facebook. I plan to get my town involved with feedback and eventually movie selection(voting).

If my area is fit for the theater i describe, i would not be able to afford it as im only in college and bulding my credit. Has anyone had any experience with investor opportunities? ive also heard of city owned theaters. My sister heard a politician here in town about investors wanting to revive our downtown area which is where one of the two theaters im looking at is located. Any information is greatly appreciated and please let me know if i missed something, Thanks again!

What my turn to give the cold advice?

1) Restaurants and bars are high risk businesses even for the seasoned operators.
2) Changing movies up each night is expensive.
3) People generally want new not old.
4) have a rich uncle? Financing is difficult to get. Watch The Shark Tank to get a feel for how people with money are about investing in companies. There is a reason it is called the Shark Tank. abc.go.com/shows/shark-tank

Please read all of the topics of this forum. You are not the first to have this idea. t may take you 40 hours, 60 hours, 80 hours or more.....but it is free.

I think Rufusjack is being very polite and very correct.

About every two to three weeks someone on this forum is going to open a single screen theater showing classics, or family films, or children's movies or "cult classics." Wouldn't this be great if it worked?
There have been several notable attempts to do this and the big guys have made several runs at this market. It rarely works and when it does, it works as an occassional special event or short series.
Most of us at Bigscreenbiz.com would be running classic movie theaters showing classic movies (and living in the classic theater upstairs apartment) if there were a living to be made doing this.
Most licensed films are going to run at least $250.00 just to rent them on DVD. Heating, lighting, insurance and rent will be high.
Good luck. I hope someday this works for a sustained period of time in a market larger than a city like New York or Chicago. (And in a profit driven theater, not just a museum or grant funded film society.)
I would enjoy being proven wrong.
AllenD

I do not believe I have ever been called "polite". Take that back!