A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, small businesses didn’t need a light saber or a training remote to fight off the big chains.
For Adam Roberts of Screenland Theaters, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" could have a lasting financial impact.
“For a small theater like us with only two screens and really banks on movies doing well whenever we pick and choose what we get a film like Star Wars and the importance of seeing it here really makes or breaks our year," Roberts said.
In 2015 when “The Force Awakens” hit the big screen, it meant big business at Screenland. Roberts said he saw ten times as many patrons as they had for any other film that year.
“That’s just the amount of patrons coming in here. Those customers are going to equate to concessions and more beer sold," Roberts said. "And more people that hopefully come here throughout the year.”
Screenland Theaters has also thought of a pretty unique way to entice more customers.
“For Star Wars, last year on Episode 7, we made a beer with Torn Label Brewing Company in the Crossroads. We took that same beer and we sat it in a Union Horse Rye Whiskey Barrel for a year," Roberts said.
Just a few hundred glasses will be available. A limited edition for a movie that has unlimited potential.
“That’s kind of become our marketing thing," Roberts said. "Seeing a local is really being a rebel because it’s so easy to just fall in line and join the Empire and see it at a big chain that doesn’t have to advertise.”
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Kevin Holmes can be reached at Kevin.Holmes@KSHB.com
