From the filings

HQ-led decisions

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

Personal services

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema's 2023 FDD shows a 38-unit system (21 franchised, 17 company-owned) with technology mandates set at the franchisor level. The filing names NCR Aloha, Vista, HotSchedules, Tripleseat, SVS, Mirus, and Movio, and requires franchisees to use designated suppliers for POS, ticketing, and network infrastructure. For software vendors, the addressable market is 21 franchised venues plus 17 corporate locations, with purchasing controlled by the franchisor's standards and designated-supplier program.

For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.

Live signals

Total units
38
21 franchised
Franchised outlet growth
0%
Item 20, last two year-ends
AUV
—
Item 19, 2022
Royalty
5% component; full terms unconfirmed
percentage component
Ad fund
0.5%
percentage component
Initial fee
$125K
per unit
Investment range
$5.05M–$16.11M
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing

Ordinary royalty terms

5% component; full terms unconfirmed

Complete royalty terms are not confirmed for the selected filing.

Recorded percentage components

These are recorded percentage components. Each has its own base and conditions; the chart does not state the total payment or confirm ad-fund completeness.

1recorded components (FY2023)

Recorded percentage components (FY2023)Ad fund 0.5%. Components use their own filing bases and conditions. Drawn against a 15% reference scale.

15% reference

Ad fund 0.5%

Mandated & recommended tech

The systems vendors compete with

Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.

AlohaNCR Voyix
POSItem 11

Loyalty: The loyalty system must be implemented for new guests to register and to track existing member transactions. Email campaigns and newsletters must be sent using, Movio, the currently required email service provider. Gift Cards: All venues must use the Ceridian SVS gift card system that integrates with both the Vista and Aloha POS systems. This applies to issuing, accepting redemption and ability to perform balance inquiry transactions for all Alamo stored value cards.

EcolabEcolab
Industry softwareItem 8

We may receive rebates from our designated or approved suppliers. We may also attempt to negotiate reductions in the invoice price of the products sold to our franchisees and us in addition to or in lieu of rebates. We do not undertake any obligation to negotiate price reductions as each supplier has their own position on the granting (and tracking/accounting for) of price reductions. We and/or our affiliates have entered into an agreement with Coca-Cola North America (“CCNA”) that provides upfront and store opening monies to be directed to our general system marketing programs and continuing payments to all corporate and franchised Venues based on Venue purchases of CCNA fountain syrup. We have also entered into an agreement with Dr Pepper Seven Up, Inc (“DPSU”) that provides direct revenue to each Venue based on each gallon of DPSU fountain syrup purchased. The amount of the revenue to each Venue is based on the total number of gallons purchased by all Venues. We reserve the right to modify these or other beverage agreements in the future to receive direct monies or benefits from our beverage suppliers based on franchisee purchases. In 2022, we also recognized rebates from EcoLab and Welch Advisory Group. These rebates were percentage-based and were calculated according to the volume of product that was purchased. We do not anticipate receiving future rebates from those companies.

FacebookMeta
MarketingItem 11

2023 FDD – Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas 26 4890-1385-7100.v7 We must approve all advertising and press releases. We will approve or disapprove all advertising materials within 15 business days of our receipt of those materials. You must not advertise or use the Marks in any fashion on the Internet, World Wide Web or via other means of advertising through telecommunication without our express written consent. We have sole discretion and control over advertising and use of the Marks on social media outlets, including without limitation Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or other similar outlets that may exist in the future. You must follow our requirements for all email marketing and social media advertising or use. We have the right to default you under your Franchise Agreement if you fail to follow our requirements for all social media advertising and use, and if you fail to timely cure your defaults we may terminate your Franchise Agreement.

HotSchedulesFourth
SchedulingItem 8

• You must engage an approved third-party vendor to perform scheduling, labor tools, staff certifications, and other similar functions. You are required to pay the then-current fee charged by our then-current approved vendor for these services, which may change from time to time. Currently, the only approved vendor for these services is HotSchedules. As of the date of this Disclosure Document, the fee for HotSchedules is $144 per Venue per month. • You must engage an approved third-party vendor to provide communication and recordkeeping services to your managers. Currently, the only approved vendor for these services is Logbook. You are required to pay the then-current fee charged by our then-current approved vendor for these

InstagramMeta
MarketingItem 11

2023 FDD – Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas 26 4890-1385-7100.v7 We must approve all advertising and press releases. We will approve or disapprove all advertising materials within 15 business days of our receipt of those materials. You must not advertise or use the Marks in any fashion on the Internet, World Wide Web or via other means of advertising through telecommunication without our express written consent. We have sole discretion and control over advertising and use of the Marks on social media outlets, including without limitation Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or other similar outlets that may exist in the future. You must follow our requirements for all email marketing and social media advertising or use. We have the right to default you under your Franchise Agreement if you fail to follow our requirements for all social media advertising and use, and if you fail to timely cure your defaults we may terminate your Franchise Agreement.

MirusMirus
Industry softwareItem 11

Aloha Configuration Center, which pushes menu, tender, comp and price changes down from an enterprise level, with current monthly costs of approximately $125 per month per venue. Mirus, a third-party business intelligence tool which is installed on the Aloha and Vista servers and polls sales and labor data on a daily basis. It currently costs approximately a $50 initial fee plus $95 per month per Venue.

MovioMovio
MarketingItem 11

Each Venue must participate in our loyalty program and pay any ancillary costs of participating in the program. There are currently two pieces of software that allow our loyalty program to work - Movio and Vista loyalty. In 2022, each Venue paid a one-time Vista loyalty license fee of $3,400, plus the annual Vista licensing fee for this software, which was 15% ($510) in 2022. This fee changes annually and may increase in 2023. You will also incur costs for your use of the loyalty program with your customers/members. Movio costs will vary based on our current contract with our third-party vendor, but we currently anticipate that the Marketing Fund will cover $50,000 of the current $246,155 annual cost, plus the total 7% annual increase. Each Venue will be charged $408 per month, to cover an annual fee of $4,900 per Venue, based on the current costs. Movio and Vista fees are subject to change based on third party agreements, and we reserve the right to reduce or cease use of Fund amounts for some or all of these programs.

NCRNCR Voyix
POSItem 11

Aloha Handheld Software 10-20 Tablets $7,000 - $14,000 Aloha Handheld Tablets Apple iPad Mini with cc swiper / rugged $1000 each case and replacement plans Aloha Hardware and Software NCR technician installation $2,800 Installation The foregoing configuration and costs are subject to change. Required Software Modules:

NCR AlohaNCR Voyix
POSItem 11

To provide needed backups and recovery from potential issues, all Venues are required to have in place a server that expressly runs an immutable backup of the primary applications (Vista POS, NCR Aloha, Aloha IOS Server). WiFi Network As Alamo rolls out new applications, we require both a secure WiFi installation that supports all theater, bar, lobby and other areas of the venue and a user facing WiFi network that supports all locations and had adequate bandwidth to support the potential guest counts in all theaters.

SVSSVS
PaymentsItem 11

Loyalty: The loyalty system must be implemented for new guests to register and to track existing member transactions. Email campaigns and newsletters must be sent using, Movio, the currently required email service provider. Gift Cards: All venues must use the Ceridian SVS gift card system that integrates with both the Vista and Aloha POS systems. This applies to issuing, accepting redemption and ability to perform balance inquiry transactions for all Alamo stored value cards.

TripleseatTripleseat
BookingItem 8

• You must engage a third-party vendor to provide sales and event management software. You are required to pay the then current fee charged by our then current vendor for this service. Currently, the only approved vendor for this service is TripleSeat. As of the date of this disclosure document, the fee for TripleSeat is a total of $1,654 per venue per year. It is billed monthly, at a rate $138 per venue per month.

TwitterX
MarketingItem 11

2023 FDD – Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas 26 4890-1385-7100.v7 We must approve all advertising and press releases. We will approve or disapprove all advertising materials within 15 business days of our receipt of those materials. You must not advertise or use the Marks in any fashion on the Internet, World Wide Web or via other means of advertising through telecommunication without our express written consent. We have sole discretion and control over advertising and use of the Marks on social media outlets, including without limitation Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or other similar outlets that may exist in the future. You must follow our requirements for all email marketing and social media advertising or use. We have the right to default you under your Franchise Agreement if you fail to follow our requirements for all social media advertising and use, and if you fail to timely cure your defaults we may terminate your Franchise Agreement.

VantivWorldpay
PaymentsItem 11

The following Vista software modules are currently required and must remain active until otherwise notified by us: Internet Ticketing: All drafthouse.com venue, web and mobile sales channels, including Fandango and Atom (3rd party). Vantiv is the currently required credit card merchant processor used to transact all Drafthouse.com web and mobile transactions (all transactions are run at the cinema level).

YouTubeGoogle
MarketingItem 11

2023 FDD – Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas 26 4890-1385-7100.v7 We must approve all advertising and press releases. We will approve or disapprove all advertising materials within 15 business days of our receipt of those materials. You must not advertise or use the Marks in any fashion on the Internet, World Wide Web or via other means of advertising through telecommunication without our express written consent. We have sole discretion and control over advertising and use of the Marks on social media outlets, including without limitation Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or other similar outlets that may exist in the future. You must follow our requirements for all email marketing and social media advertising or use. We have the right to default you under your Franchise Agreement if you fail to follow our requirements for all social media advertising and use, and if you fail to timely cure your defaults we may terminate your Franchise Agreement.

Franchisor behaviours

What the franchisor requires

26 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 explicit no's; 5 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.

Accounting

Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?

Yes

Franchise agreement

Franchisor may require that Franchisee install and maintain systems that permit Franchisor to access and retrieve electronically any information stored in Franchisee’s POS System and computer systems, including, without limitation, information concerning Franchised Venue Gross Sales and online ticket sales, at the…

Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?

Yes

Franchise agreement

Franchisee shall also submit to Franchisor, for review or auditing, such other forms, reports, records, information and data as Franchisor may reasonably designate, in the form and at the times and places reasonably required by Franchisor, upon request and as specified from time to time in writing, including in the…

How the franchisor buys

Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?

Yes

Item 20

The ADC Franchise Association, Inc. was formed in 2019 for the purpose of offering educational, networking, and training programs for its members as it deems necessary and advisable in order to provide its members with opportunities to enhance their communication with, and participation in, their respective franchise…

Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?

Yes

Franchise agreement

A list of approved suppliers as described in Section 7.4 from time to time as Franchisor deems appropriate.

How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?

431466

Item 8

During 2022, we received $ $431,466 from franchisee purchases, which was less than 1% of our total revenue of $157,269,144 during 2022 (roughly .3%).

Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Item 8

We may receive rebates from our designated or approved suppliers.

Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?

50

Item 8

We estimate that these purchases and leases (excluding real estate leases) will be approximately 10% of your cost to establish the Venue and 50% to 60% of your costs to operate the Venue.

Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?

Yes

Item 8

If you wish to purchase, lease or use any products or other items that we permit to be sourced from an unapproved supplier, you must submit a written request for approval, or must request the supplier to do so.

Communications

Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?

Yes

Franchise agreement

Franchisee, at the option of Franchisor, shall assign to Franchisor all rights to the telephone numbers of the Franchised Venue and any related Yellow Pages trademark listing or other business listings and execute all forms and documents required by Franchisor and any telephone company at any time to transfer such…

Data and IT

Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?

Yes

Franchise agreement

Franchisee must implement and maintain an approved Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance program for the Franchised Venue.

Franchise management

Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?

Yes

Item 11

As we reasonably determine necessary, visits to, and evaluations of, the Venue and the products and services provided there to ensure that the high standards of quality, appearance and service of the System are maintained.

Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?

Yes

Franchise agreement

Franchisor may from time to time revise the contents of the Operations Digital Library and other manuals and materials created or approved for use in the operation of the Operations Digital Library Venue.

Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?

Yes

Franchise agreement

No other site may be used for the Location of the Franchised Venue unless it is consented to in writing by Franchisor, in its sole discretion.

Marketing

Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?

Yes

Item 11

You must conduct a “Grand Opening Advertising Program” for the Venue during the period commencing sixty days prior to opening the Venue and up to ninety days after the opening date of the Venue, spending at least $150,000.

Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?

Yes

Franchise agreement

In addition to the ongoing advertising contributions set forth herein and subject to any allocation of Franchisee’s expenditures for local advertising to the Cooperative as described in Section 8.5, Franchisee shall spend, annually throughout the Term, not less than one percent (1%) of the Gross Sales of the…

Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?

Yes

Item 11

Each Venue must participate in our loyalty program and pay any ancillary costs of participating in the program.

Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?

Yes

Item 11

If a Cooperative has been established for an advertising coverage area where your Venue is located when the Franchise Agreement is signed, or if any Cooperative is established during the term of the Franchise Agreement, you must sign all documents we request and become a member of the Cooperative according to the…

Operations

Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?

Yes

Item 8

If available in your market, you must use US Foods Service as your broadline food distributor and you must follow our Product Specification Manual when purchasing from US Foods Service, including as to proprietary, approved and generic products.

Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Item 8

You must purchase the Vista and Aloha point of sale system software and related hardware from a source we designate (see Item 11).

Payments

Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 11

Vantiv is the currently required credit card merchant processor used to transact all Drafthouse.com web and mobile transactions (all transactions are run at the cinema level).

Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?

Yes

Item 6

Amounts due will be withdrawn by EFT from your designated bank account.

Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?

Yes

Item 16

You must participate in any gift certificate or card program or online ticket purchasing program we establish.

People

Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?

Yes

Item 15

You must retain at all times a General Manager, Assistant Managers, Kitchen Manager, Bar Manager, AV- Presentation Manager and the other personnel that are needed to operate and manage the Venue.

Point of sale

Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?

Yes

Franchise agreement

Franchisee shall install and maintain the point of sale systems (the “POS System”) and computer hardware and software Franchisor requires for the operation of the Franchised Venue

Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?

Yes

Item 11

You must allow Corporate IT to have immediate and secure access to your network, point-of-sale, databases, and other computing systems, and there is no contractual limitation on our access or our use of any information we may obtain from that access.

Training

Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?

Yes

Item 11

We reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee for the additional training programs and seminars that we provide on an optional basis.

The filing answers no to 3 questions
  • Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?Item 8
  • Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?Franchise agreement
  • Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?Franchise agreement

The vendor opportunity at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema operates 38 total units — 21 franchised and 17 company-owned — according to its 2023 FDD. Franchised outlet growth year over year was 0.0%. The system is part of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, a single-brand holding company. For software vendors, the immediate addressable market is the 21 franchised venues, with the 17 corporate locations representing a separate, potentially direct sales channel.

Who controls software purchasing

Technology purchasing is centralized at the franchisor level. Item 11 requires franchisees to install and maintain the computer hardware and software the franchisor deems necessary to operate required point-of-sale systems. Item 8 requires franchisees to purchase Vista and Aloha point-of-sale software and related hardware from a source the franchisor designates. Executive Chairman Tim League is named in Item 2. The operator footprint shows 28 mapped operators, all single-unit, across approximately 28 located units, with top states Texas (13), Virginia (5), Nebraska (2), Missouri (2), and Indiana (1). No multi-unit operators are present, reinforcing that software decisions are not made by large franchisee groups but by the franchisor's standards.

Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required

The 2023 FDD names several technology systems. Aloha by NCR Voyix is mandated for food and beverage point-of-sale. HotSchedules by Fourth is mandated for scheduling. NCR Aloha is mandated. SVS is mandated. Tripleseat is mandated. Mirus, Movio, and NCR by NCR Voyix are named as in use. Vista Entertainment Solutions' suite is required for ticket sales. The filing's own words state: "NCR's Aloha POS is the currently required point-of-sale system for F&B sales" and "Vista Entertainment Solutions' suite of products is the current required point-of-sale system for ticket sales." The filing also requires an Axcient Backup Server for immutable backups of Vista POS, NCR Aloha, and Aloha iOS Server, and mandates a secure WiFi network supporting all areas and guest counts. The point-of-sale network processing credit cards must be segmented and PCI compliant, using an approved third-party network management company such as IronEdge Group or NCR Security Services.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

Item 8 establishes an approved-supplier list model. Franchisees must purchase designated items — including point-of-sale, projection, audio, and software vendors — from designated suppliers, and most other items from approved suppliers meeting franchisor standards. Franchisees may propose alternative suppliers for approval. If available in the market, franchisees must use US Foods Service as the broadline food distributor. The franchisor may negotiate purchase arrangements and receive rebates from designated or approved suppliers. Initial franchise terms are 10 years. Renewal terms are 5 years, requiring 6–12 months' notice, repair and update of equipment and premises, no breach of agreement, right to remain in possession of the venue, payment of a renewal fee, signing the then-current franchise agreement, and compliance with current qualification and training requirements. Renewal cycles may create openings for software vendors to propose replacements or additions.

How to read the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema FDD

The embedded PDF viewer below contains the brand's 2023 Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 2 names officers, Item 8 sets supplier restrictions, Item 11 covers technology and training requirements, Item 17 governs renewal, transfer, and termination, Item 19 makes a financial performance representation, and Item 20 lists outlets. For a ranked target list of franchise systems matching your software category, talk to FranCloud.

Ordinary royalty terms

Complete royalty terms are not confirmed.

Questions vendors ask

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, answered from the filing

The franchisor controls technology standards. Item 11 requires franchisees to install and maintain hardware and software the franchisor deems necessary, and Item 8 requires purchase of Vista and Aloha POS systems from designated sources. Executive Chairman Tim League is named in Item 2.
The FDD mandates Aloha by NCR Voyix for food and beverage POS, HotSchedules by Fourth for scheduling, NCR Aloha, SVS, and Tripleseat. Mirus, Movio, and NCR by NCR Voyix are named as in use. Vista POS is required for ticket sales.
The 2023 FDD reports 38 total units: 21 franchised and 17 company-owned. Franchised outlet growth year over year was 0.0%.
Item 8 uses an approved-supplier list. Franchisees must buy designated items (POS, projection, audio, software) from designated suppliers and most other items from approved suppliers meeting franchisor standards. Franchisees may propose alternative suppliers for approval.
Initial franchise terms are 10 years. Renewal terms are 5 years, requiring 6–12 months' notice, updated equipment and premises, and signing the then-current franchise agreement. Renewal cycles may create openings for replacement or add-on software.
The embedded PDF viewer below contains the brand's 2023 Franchise Disclosure Document. Review Items 8, 11, and 17 for supplier, technology, and renewal terms.
Source

Read the filing itself

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The brands you can actually sell into, from the filings.

Operator footprint

Who runs the locations

28 operators run 28 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.

Operators by units owned

Single-unit28

Top states by locations

TX13
VA5
NE2
MO2
IN1

Ownership

The portfolio behind Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

Ownership: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.

Related Personal services brands

Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Read the original filing for definitions, conditions, and qualifications.