WRIGLEYVILLE — Alamo Drafthouse, an Austin, Texas-based movie theater chain, is opening its first Chicago theater in Wrigleyville.
The six-screen, 371-seat theater opens Jan. 27 in the third floor of the Addison and Clark development at 1025 W. Addison St., according to an announcement.
“Alamo Drafthouse Wrigleyville is something we have been looking forward to for a very long time,” CEO Shelli Taylor said. “We’re thrilled to be here, and we’re excited to show Chicagoans everything we have to offer to the cinema experience.”
The theater will be equipped with high-tech Cinionic 4k laser projectors and immersive Dolby surround sound, according to the company.
It will also feature Video Vortex, a standalone cocktail bar with a video library stocked with more than 11,000 VHS tapes, DVDs and Bluerays people can rent for free. The bar features retro video installations by the art collective Media Pollution.
The menu includes custom and classic cocktails along with 32 craft beer taps, company leaders said. The back bar will be available to rent for small events, parties and film screenings.
The theater’s lobby is dedicated to Chicago’s cinematic history. Patrons can pose for a photo in a recreation of the famous scene from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” when Ferris’ reluctant friend Cameron sends his father’s classic Ferrari through a window.
The Wrigleyville theater will also host events, including interactive movie parties, live Q&As and advance screenings, according to Alamo Drafthouse.
The theater is offering various deals and giveaways to celebrate its opening. By following any of Alamo Drafthouse’s social media channels (Instagram, Facebook or Twitter), guests will be entered to win prizes like a tickets to a VIP-only grand opening event Jan. 26 or a year of unlimited free movies.
The theater is also offering a 25 percent discount on food and non-alcoholic beverages through Feb. 5, according to the announcement.
Alamo Drafthouse was founded in 1997 as a single-screen, mom-and-pop theater in Austin, Texas. Since then, it’s grown to have 38 locations across the United States.
The Addison and Clark building always included a movie theater plan, but the construction timeline and COVID-19 restrictions delayed its opening until now, Bennett Lawson, chief of staff for Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), previously told Block Club.
The theater joins a UFC gym, Lucky Strike bowling alley and 150 upscale apartments inside the development. It is one of the few major projects near Wrigley Field not owned by the Ricketts family.
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