Alamo Drafthouse Cinema to build in Fayetteville
A lot of people bemoaned the passing of the 112 Drive-In, which closed at the end of August after 70 years of operation, the last 42 years at 3552 Arkansas 112 in north Fayetteville. Its closing left only two drive-in theaters still operating in the state: the Kenda DriveIn Theater in Marshall and the Stone Drive-In in Mountain View.
But Fayetteville is going to have a drive-in theater again.
The Austin, Texas-based Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain has acquired the 112 Drive-In and promises to open a new eight-screen theater with a total capacity of 798 equipped with 4k digital projection, including The Big Show, Alamo Drafthouse’s Premium Large Format theater with Dolby Atmos sound and 70mm projection capabilities, as well as the chain’s first permanent drive-in theater, with stalls for about 45 cars.
The theaters will be part of a larger commercial development that could include restaurant and retail space.
While the theater isn’t expected to open until sometime in 2024, there will be a special advance screening of “Cocaine Bear” at the drive-in, as part of a the Alamo Drafthouse “Movie Party” experience. The free event will feature an outdoor screening of the film with with a live intro from Tim League, Alamo Drafthouse founder and executive chairman. Guests will also enjoy bear-themed props; food and drinks from Fossil Cove Brewing Co., T-Boys BBQ , and Meaux Beignet; costumed guests; and a special photo opportunity with a real (stuffed) bear. Tickets will go on sale next week, with ticket prices and other details to be announced.
According to the United DriveIn Theatre Owners Association, there are about 330 “authentic” drive-ins — i.e., facilities that feature, among other things, large, permanent, rather than pop-up, screens; concession stands and 35 mm or 70 mm projectors (or their studio-mandated digital equivalents) — left in the country, a drastic reduction from their 1958 heyday when there were more than 4,000 drive-in theaters. The Fayetteville project will mark the Alamo Drafthouse’s first perma
nent drive-in theater venture.
There have been rumors about Alamo Drafthouse, which was started in 1997 by League and his wife, Karrie — once described by Texas Monthly as a pair of “slacker marrieds” (they met at Rice University, where he obtained degrees in art history and mechanical engineering and she in biology and French literature) — in a old warehouse building that was being used as a parking garage in downtown Austin.
The original Drafthouse quickly established its reputation as a hip retreat for moviegoers with its clever programming of second-run features, mixing cult and “grindhouse” favorites with cinema classics, and its food and beverage service was among the first to offer beer and wine. The original Alamo Drafthouse’s seating was arranged cabaret style, with an aisle between each row to allow wait staff access to patrons. The formula pioneered by the Drafthouse has since been adopted by several other chains and independent theaters.
Told of the new theater, Matt Smith, the owner-operator of several theaters located throughout the state, says he believes Fayetteville will “be a good town for Alamo,” citing the “college town” demographics of the area.
Smith said while he was “surprised” that Alamo Drafthouse was moving into Fayetteville at the present time, given that the theater industry had “bled out so hard” during the pandemic — since 2019, the number of North American screens has fallen by more than 3,000, according to the media measurement and analytics company Comscore, and Smith believes the actual number of theater closings is likely closer to 5,000 given that many smaller theaters don’t report to Comscore — he says the move makes sense for Alamo Drafhouse.
“Just because the rest of the country was overscreened even before the pandemic doesn’t mean Northwest Arkansas was,” he says, noting that Northwest Arkansas is one of the fastest-growing areas of the the country.
“This will work,” he says. “They know their market and this — with all the college kids and the education level up there — is their market.”
Smith added that Alamo Drafthouse had a reputation for “doing things right.”
“Maybe the only real surprise is that they weren’t in Fayetteville before the pandemic,” he says.