Alamo Drafthouse Cinema plans to open two new movie houses in the South Bay in time for the blockbuster film season of summer 2025, taking over theater locations that have been empty for months.
The movie houses that Alamo Drafthouse is opening are in Westfield Valley Fair in San Jose and in The Village at San Antonio Center, the company said.
The shuttered and locked ShowPlace ICON Theatre & Kitchen in The Village at San Antonio Center at 2575 California Street in Mountain View, July 2024. (George Avalos/Bay Area News Group)
“By 2025 we’ll have been in San Francisco for 10 years, and this feels like the perfect way to celebrate the decade of support and enthusiasm we’ve received from Bay Area film fans,” said Alamo Drafthouse Chief Executive Officer Michael Kusterman. “It’s an area we love that has shown us a lot of love back.”
Alamo Drafthouse is taking over two South Bay sites where ShowPlace ICON had operated movie theaters for years until the company abruptly halted operations and closed cinema sites nationwide, including the ones in Mountain View and San Jose.
The movie theater company combines a cinema experience with food and drinks at its locations.
The Alamo Drafthouse deal in Mountain View is one of several recent leasing successes for the Mountain View retail and restaurant center.
Among the latest deals for The Village at San Antonio Center:
— Hyundai and Genesis of Mountain View, an automotive showroom presenting Hyundai and Genesis vehicles from Cardinale Automotive Group, leased 11,000 square feet.
— The Art of Problem Solving, an education center focused on advanced learning and enrichment programs, leased 6,000 square feet.
— Shake Shack, a high-profile burger hot dot and milkshake outpost, leased 2,500 square feet.
— Ben’s Barketplace, a one-stop pet nutrition and wellness store, rented 2,200 square feet.
— Slice House, a pizzeria and slice restaurant, leased 1,800 square feet.
— Skin Laundry, a specialty skincare provider, rented 1,000 square feet.
Including the Alamo Drafthouse lease, the Mountain View shopping center landed rental agreements that filled 90,000 square feet of space.
Texas-based Alamo Drafthouse aims to have the existing movie theaters in San Jose and Mountain View fully converted and open to guests by the summer of 2025.
“Updates to the theaters will include premium reclining leather seats, a revamped culinary and bar experience, and immersive themes unique to each location,” Alamo Drafthouse stated.
The San Jose and Mountain View movie houses will join an existing Alamo Drafthouse in San Francisco.
“We’re thrilled to be able to expand and provide our unique experience to more people,” Alamo Drafthouse CEO Kusterman said.