Although you can stream them directly to your television, computer, or smartphone, the pull of watching movies on the big screen is still strong. In fact, according to the Motion Picture Association of America, a whopping 235 million people in the United States and Canada -- more than two-thirds of the countries' joint population -- went to the movies at least once in 2015.
The same things that make theaters great for movie-watching -- superior A/V, comfortable group seating, and fun F&B -- also make them ideal venues for groups, which can utilize theaters for everything from corporate meetings to incentive outings to private movie screenings. Here are five great theaters made for movies and meetings alike:
Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas Westlake Village (Los Angeles)
Los Angeles-based Cinépolis USA specializes in what it calls "enhanced movie-going experiences." Located at The Promenade, an outdoor shopping mall in Thousand Oaks, CA, the company's Westlake Village theater has eight screens and 618 seats boasting fully-reclining, over-sized leather seats; in-theater waiter service; a gourmet menu serving options like a New England lobster roll, a strawberry-Nutella crêpe, and naan crisps with hummus; a full bar of wines, spirits, and beers; a lounge-style lobby; and cutting-edge sound and projection technology. The theater -- recently rented out by Kanye West for a birthday party for wife Kim Kardashian West -- assigns groups a dedicated event manager and offers the option to host a private reception before or after their event in the theater's lobby bar.
AMC Dine-In Theatres Block 37 (Chicago)
Located on bustling State Street in Chicago's Loop business district, Block 37 is a mixed-use development that combines upscale shopping and dining spread out over an entire city block. AMC's brand-new Dine-In Theatre there features 11 screens with just 40 seats each, ensuring that each theater is amply spacious -- no blocked views or knee-knocking with your neighbor here. Highlights include leather-wrapped, power-reclining chairs; in-theater food and beverage service which includes crab-avocado sushi rolls, blackened salmon, crisped Brussels sprouts, and four kinds of mac-and-cheese; and MacGuffins, an 80-seat café and bar overlooking State Street outside. AMC allows groups to rent out the auditorium of their choice and promises full A/V support, along with plenty of candy and popcorn.
iPic Pike & Rose (North Bethesda, MD)
Located near Washington, DC, at Pike & Rose, a mixed-use development in North Bethesda, MD, Florida-based iPic Theaters' first East Coast location features eight auditoriums ranging in size from 89 to 108 seats, each with two types of seating: "premium" seats and "premium plus" seats, the latter of which have large tables, a push-button reclining system, pillows, blankets, and pop-out iPads in the armrests for ordering food and drinks. And speaking of food, the theater's menu was created by James Beard Award-winning chef Sherry Yard, whose creations includes items designed for "dining in the dark" -- finger foods that can be eaten quietly -- such as potato knishes, pork belly empanadas, fish tacos, and fried chicken with brioche French toast sticks. The drink menu is equally impressive, including wine, eight rotating beer taps, and "farm to glass" cocktails created by mixologist Adam Seger. For the fancy drinker, bottles of Cristal Champagne are even on the menu. In addition to an auditorium, groups of up to 250 can rent out City Perch Kitchen + Bar, the adjacent restaurant and lounge.
Nitehawk Cinema (Brooklyn, NY)
Located in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood, Nitehawk Cinema is as much about food and drinks as it is about films. The theater is small -- it has only three screens with 92, 60, and 34 seats, respectively -- but sumptuous, specializing in handcrafted cocktails and atypical movie fare like tuna wontons, spring rolls, tater tots, and fried calamari. Even the popcorn is dressed up: You can order your kernels with seasoned salt and hot butter, caramel, truffle butter and citric salt, or chipotle-ranch seasoning and butter. One real reason this theater stands out is its penchant for creating film-inspired menus for special events. During a screening of Steven Spielberg's "Bridge of Spies," for example, Nighthawk served a "Spielburger" topped with "secret Russian dressing." And during a screening of "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," it offered "scotch eggs," a "Papa Burgundy" beer, and a "panda" bear claw for dessert, served at the end of the film when (spoiler alert) a baby panda is born. Groups can rent out an auditorium or the theater's downstairs bar, which includes A/V capabilities and a DJ hookup.
CinéBistro at Westfield Southgate (Sarasota, FL)
When CinéBistro opened its Sarasota location in February, it was Alabama-based Cobb Theatres' first theater with a full-service restaurant. The 150-seat eatery features an indoor and outdoor patio serving a chef-inspired bistro menu with dishes such as wagyu beef sliders, chorizo and shrimp flatbread, broiled cauliflower steak, short rib pappardelle, and red velvet lava cake. Food is also served in the theater itself, which has seven screens -- including three in 3D -- seating between 74 and 98 people. All auditoriums are equipped with leather recliners, each with small tray tables that swivel back and forth for convenient dining during the movie. Unlike most theaters, this one also includes a dedicated private meeting room for corporate groups of up to 30 people.