Good evening, I'd first like to say thank you all in advance. The idea of operating my own theatre has always been a dream of mine. I moved away from my "home" area a few months ago, and after attending several events at a local theatre where I am living now, the creative juices have been flowing again. I find myself thinking, "This would really work back home."
So, my question: What is the general screen per person ratio in a given area?
Here are some of the details on my area specifically. There are roughly 350,000 living in the metropolitan area which includes a University (25,000 enrolled) and the HQs of several large corporations. Currently there are 4 multiplexes in the area with 12 screens each, all of which show first-run only. There are no second-run and/or art house cinemas in the area. Because of the University, there is quite a large nightlife/weekend entertainment community established already, but there is nothing (and I mean nothing) which caters to the film fan.
With your experience, do you believe a 2-4 screen theatre showing classics (from every decade), second-run, and/or indpendent films could be supported (and profitable) based off of the population?
Thanks!