How long has it been since you blew bubbles in a movie theatre? Ate movie-themed meals, munched on gourmet flavored popcorn or sipped on locally brewed beer while you enjoyed the film? For many, the answer is never. But it will be an option for South Chandler residents with the grand opening of the new Alamo Drafthouse Cinema on Friday, December 2nd. Tickets will soon go on sale at https://drafthouse.com/phoenix. Look for a second Arizona location to open in Tempe about a year from now.
The Chandler location, located at the northeast corner of Arizona Avenue and Chandler Heights, at 4955 S. Arizona Ave., will feature 9 screens with auditoriums ranging from 48 to 168 seats. All food is made to order in their on-site kitchen and delivered to your seat. The bar will feature 32 craft beers on tap representing many local breweries such as San Tan, Four Peaks, and Huss Brewing Company as well as a full bar with craft cocktails and a wine list. Seating is 100% reserved.
Attending a movie at Alamo Drafthouse isn’t a typical outing to the theater, it’s more of an experience or an event, according to Craig Paschich, Partner at Paschich Alamo Holdings LLC, an Arizona-based company that owns the Chandler cinema and has plans to open more. The Alamo actually has an employee with the title of Creative Manager, Lauren Knight, who will design all variety of movie-themed events and experiences for theater-goers who want something different and interactive. Their movie programming includes mainstream, independent and re-release films built into events completely unique to Alamo.
Guests are encouraged to arrive early and enjoy the pre-show entertainment, sans advertising; Alamo instead shows a curated collection of rare and humorous clips. And whatever you do, don’t talk or text during the movie because they have a strict zero tolerance policy and will not hesitate to throw you out without a refund. However, they do occasionally host “quote along” movie events where shouting along with the movie or yelling out your favorite lines is encouraged.
Another location is currently in the works in Tempe at the Lake Country Village project on Baseline Road, east of Rural Road and west of Lakeshore Drive. It will be built from the ground up and will look completely different from the Chandler location, according to Paschich, who envisions it to be slightly smaller than the Chandler location, have a different facade and layout along with other adjacent retail establishments. An opening date isn’t set for the Tempe location, but Paschich estimated about a year out from the Chandler opening.
The Chandler location will employ approximately 170 people and is still hiring. Job seekers may apply at:
https://drafthouse.com/phoenix/careers/join-the-team
Upcoming films:
Rogue One A Star Wars Story: December 16
Passengers: December 21
Assassins Creed: December 21
Tickets: https://drafthouse.com/phoenix
Learn More about Alamo Drafthouse