With the Nov. 17 arrival of an Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Boston gets its first new movie theater in years.
What took so long?
“We’ve been trying,” Alamo CEO Tim League explained in a phone interview. “These things just move at a bit of a glacial pace. I think we’ve been actively looking in Boston for eight years.
“For us at least there’s a little bit of a COVID silver lining because theaters after a couple of years became available and we really fell in love with this location.”
The Drafthouse, with 10 screens, is located at 60 Seaport Blvd. All provide dine-in service brought to seats by Alamo Drafthouse’s wait staff. All seating is assigned. Reservations may be made in person, online or a mobile app purchase. Those under 18 cannot come in alone; they must be with an adult.
What stands out about Alamo Drafthouse theaters is the full food and drink menus with all courses — appetizer, entree, dessert — and full bar options including cocktails, spirits, award-winning milkshakes and a huge local draft beer selection.
Menus are available at each seat, where guests can order. Call buttons offer quick access to a server.
Drafthouse asks that all guests arrive 30 minutes prior to a show for a specially crafted pre-show program unique to each film, and to allow for the full service experience.
That translates as its famous and strict “No Talking/No Texting” policy. Young children are not allowed (except for special kids’ events).
With Boston the 40th Drafthouse in an expanding nationwide chain, what decides, ‘This is where our next Alamo Drafthouse goes’?
“A complicated question,” League, 53, allowed. “For this particular one, since it was an existing theater, this is where it was going to be.
“We come here and spend a good bit of time in the area to see what it feels like nights. I really liked the breweries, the restaurants and just the entertainment scene around sports and the liveliness of people that are walking around, day and night.”
The chain scoffs at the notion that people don’t want to go see movies in movie theaters anymore.
“That same argument happened with the advent of streaming and streaming content. It’s available – but that doesn’t matter if you want to get out of the house! Restaurants are doing this right”.
And, League added, with blockbusters like “Barbie” “It’s been an incredible year for people to understand again how amazing it is to sit in a theater and experience great movies.”
