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Topic: new 3 plex

Phil Radosevich
Film Handler

Posts: 22
From: Centerville, IA, USA
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 06-28-2002 08:02 AM

I am a small town theater owner in a draw of 13000. I'm in the planning stages of building a new three plex with a drive in out to the north. Does anyone have plans for sale that a person can buy that can be sealed for the state of Iowa.

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Adam Fraser
Master Film Handler

Posts: 499
From: Houghton Lake, MI, USA
Registered: Dec 2001

posted 06-28-2002 09:16 AM

You might want to look at trade magazines like "Boxoffice Magazine" and look for advertisements for theatre design firms.

------------------
Adam Fraser
www.pinestheatre.com

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David Favel
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 764
From: Ashburton, New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 06-30-2002 12:46 AM

Wow, 13000 is brave.

Does the American estimate approx 9 or 10 thousand people per screen for viability?

Don't want to the devils advocate, but all the luck in your venture.

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 06-30-2002 02:11 AM

You might want to take a look at the area draw, and not just the city. Is is a movie going town or not?

I know of a two-screen theatre in a town of 6,000 that has trouble surviving. On the same token, I knew of a 6-screen house in a town of 6,000 that was a gold mine, and 4 screens were added. That made it a bigger goldmine until a corporate purchased it. Last I heard, it was doing poorly.

Before you make the leap, do alot of footwork. How far away is the comptition? Can you go state-of-the-art for your dream? How many seats? does it "pencil out" under the worse conditions, such as horrible product?

I am a grease monkey - so these are just a few thoughts I would have. Maybe they mean nothing.....who knows?

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-30-2002 09:02 AM

Buying of Stock plans are typically not a good investment since there are many site variables and even down to local city code requirements
Over at Bigscreenbiz.com Mesbur/Smith archetiects have a design forum going

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Jerry Chase
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1068
From: Margate, FL, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 06-30-2002 10:21 AM

You may be able to use a prefab structure. Check with Sonic Sales in Iola, KS.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-30-2002 11:58 AM

For years Butler Buildings were sold for prefab theatres

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Dave Williams
Wet nipple scene

Posts: 1836
From: Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 06-30-2002 03:29 PM

Here in Salt Lake Utah, we have a very old and very longstanding three screener that has been around for a very long damn time, so long that it predates my birth.

It has a large, i think 70 footer screen upstairs, with the smaller 30 foot screeners downstairs. They play the new film on the big one and rotate it downstairs when the next big film comes out. It is on like its fourth owner but it is still raking in the bucks.

Dave

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Phil Radosevich
Film Handler

Posts: 22
From: Centerville, IA, USA
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 07-01-2002 07:24 AM

My frist thoughts were to build a twin as I already own a single that we just did a remodle on a few years back and we would like to keep it open until its 100 year anniversy witch is in 2013. I have been in contact with a company that is trying to convince me to built a 4. I was under the impresion that there are standards that are used to keep from over building. That must not be the case because of all of the places that the big boys are closing. Where I plan to build is in the county and the only codes I have found I have to follow is the state fire marshal and submit plans to them that are drawn by an architect. The draw area is 13000 in the county and the closeest plex is 40 miles away.

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Dave Williams
Wet nipple scene

Posts: 1836
From: Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 07-01-2002 05:16 PM

with thirteen thousand people, a three screen is as big as you want to go, with no more than 1000 seating capacity total. Even then you could probably only support one or maybe two shows per day, if you keep a film for only about three weeks total. You would have to have half the population absolutely always going to see movies at least once each week.

I would have a survey done to find out just how often people in the county see films, and from that you can deduce how many screens and what seating capacity you would need, based upon operating hours.

Dave

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David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 07-01-2002 05:46 PM

Phil, how far away is the closest competing theater from this town (in drive time)? Is it a stand-alone theater? Or is it part of a mall or some other separate "attraction" that draws people? If there's a major mall with restaurants and a movie multiplex 20 minutes away, when someone in your small town wants to get out, see a movie, and maybe do some shopping or go to a restaurant, what are they likely to do? Go to the local movie theater, or go to the "big city"? Around here, Cinemark 17 in Springfield killed a 2-screen theater in Cottage Grove, barely 20 mins. away, population ~10,000. Cinemark is in a major mall.

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Steve Scott
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1300
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 07-01-2002 10:16 PM

My old company made a modest financial return on a 5-plex in a Minnesota city of about 7,000. Also, having family in Iowa, I know that if you advertise in the right places, people from many towns over will take a drive to see a well-presented movie.

Kinda like Field of Dreams except with slightly less dead people.

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Phil Radosevich
Film Handler

Posts: 22
From: Centerville, IA, USA
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 07-02-2002 06:21 AM

The closest In drive time is 40 min away its a 5plex downtown. I have talked to these people and there plans are to build a new 6plex some where there. The next plave is about a hour away again a new 8plex downtown. Im just trying to protect my market. I had a twin build in the mall in our town back in 95 in the mall but it burnt down in 99 and aren'tgoing to rebuild for now.

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Dave Williams
Wet nipple scene

Posts: 1836
From: Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 07-02-2002 12:59 PM

This suggestion may not be possible, but some towns have done this. Work with the city/county goverments and try and secure rights to cinema projetion, preventing the goverments from issueing building permits to other would be cinema owners.

Here in salt lake, utah, larry miller did just that, not with cinema however. It was with the UTAH JAZZ basketball team. He built a new arena and was able to get a no compete contract with the city and county on venue. The city county cannot host anything that he can host in his building unless he turns it down.

Like i said, it is not something that may even be possible, but it is at least worth a look at.

Dave

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