ROUND ROCK, Texas, February 9, 2024 — Moviegoers in several Texas cities will soon have a new cinema option, as Flix Brewhouse is acquiring four Alamo Drafthouse locations. The theaters—in West and East El Paso, Katy (a Houston suburb), and Lubbock—were previously operated by Alamo’s franchise partner, Triple Tap Ventures, but will now be directly managed by Flix Brewhouse.
A New Chapter for Texas Movie Theaters
Flix Brewhouse expands its footprint with the acquisition of four former Alamo Drafthouse locations across Texas, promising a similar dine-in movie experience.
- Flix Brewhouse will rebrand the acquired locations by February 23, just in time for the release of Scream 7.
- The acquisition means that El Paso is now the only city with three Flix Brewhouse locations.
- Alamo Drafthouse locations in Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio will remain open.
- The move follows Sony Pictures’ acquisition of Alamo Drafthouse amid recent closures and bankruptcies.
The transition will leave three metropolitan areas—Houston, El Paso, and Lubbock—without an Alamo Drafthouse cinema. Tickets for the rebranded Flix Brewhouse locations will go on sale February 13, with the theaters officially reopening on February 23, according to a press release.
“Our franchise partner Triple Tap Ventures, which operates four locations in Texas (Houston, El Paso, East El Paso, and Lubbock), will no longer operate these theaters under the Alamo Drafthouse brand,” the company stated. “We’re grateful to the teammates and guests for their support over the years and wish them all the best. We hope to return to these communities in the future.”
Alamo Drafthouse, founded in Austin in 1997, revolutionized the cinema experience with its restaurant format, curated programming, live events, and commitment to independent films. The chain expanded to Houston in 2003, Lubbock in 2014, and El Paso in 2016.
What led to these changes in the Texas cinema landscape? In 2024, Sony Pictures acquired Alamo Drafthouse as part of a broader trend of studio-owned cinemas emerging after the 2020 dissolution of the Paramount Consent Decrees. However, even with Sony’s backing, these four locations could not be sustained.
The closure also resonated with industry professionals. Rob Saucedo, the former head of programming for Alamo Drafthouse and current operator of the River Oaks Theatre in Houston, expressed a bittersweet sentiment on Facebook. “It feels weird for these theaters I spent so much time and energy into building a community around to suddenly close,” he wrote. “It’s a reminder that nothing is permanent. The locations will be reopened soon under a new brand and folks will still be able to see movies there. Graveyard Shift, the weekly horror series I created, will be dead though. So will so many other practices I built, big and small.”
This acquisition will expand Flix Brewhouse’s presence to 15 screens across six states. Moviegoers can expect a similar dine-in experience at the new locations, with a menu featuring burgers, pizzas, shareable snacks, desserts, and vegan/vegetarian options.
“This acquisition is a natural extension of who we are and what we believe in,” said Flix CEO Chance Robertson in the release. “Cinema success today means creating better experiences. We’re grateful to the entire Triple Tap team for their work in cultivating these moviegoing communities, and we’re honored to carry that legacy forward.”
