EVO Entertainment Group President Mitchell Roberts said the market research showing a cinema, bowling alley and video arcade hybrid could work in Kyle was not a slam dunk—at least on paper.
But being from San Marcos and having a feel for the area, the Roberts family decided to move forward with the ambitious project. It has paid off, Roberts said, as EVO Entertainment has been well received by the Kyle community.
“It definitely was a bit of a gut call, but we decided to go with our hearts,” he said. “And it worked out. The people of Kyle did not let us down.”
EVO Entertainment opened in Kyle on Nov. 21, 2014. The 70,000-square-foot complex contains movie theaters, 14 bowling lanes, a restaurant and bar, a game floor, private event space and an outdoor music stage.
The movie theater aspect of the business features 11 screens, one of which features a Dolby immersive audio system. Roberts said EVO is one of a handful of cinemas in Texas to carry the technology.
Regular showtime prices are $7 for adults and $5 for seniors, military personnel, students and children. Matinee pricing is $5. Tickets for a showing in the EVX theater, with the immersive audio system, range from $6.50-$8.50.
“You don’t have to pay an arm and a leg to watch movies with us,” Roberts said.
EVO’s patio features a stage, and Roberts said most of the performers have been DJs, but the business plans to ramp up its live music soon.
For food and beverages, customers can find chicken wings, burgers and pizza, but the menu is being revamped to include healthier options.
Roberts’ father has owned Texas Cinema for the past few decades. The company has run traditional movie theaters in San Marcos and New Braunfels. A Texas Cinema-run theater in downtown San Marcos closed in October. The companies are exploring their options with the 321 N. LBJ Drive, San Marcos property, Roberts said.
Originally the plan was to run the EVO Entertainment under the umbrella of Texas Cinema, but the Roberts family decided it wanted to build on the EVO Entertainment concept. The family created the EVO Entertainment Group to hone its brand and potentially open similar concepts along the I-35 corridor, Roberts said.
In September the group announced plans to open The Spot in San Marcos’ Springtown Center, which is being revitalized under new ownership.
The Spot will feature a dine-in cinema, bowling, and a restaurant and bar. Roberts said it will be geared more toward adults than EVO Entertainment, which features a family-friendly atmosphere.
He said that although the group is pursuing other potential sites on which to expand the EVO brand it will work to perfect the blueprint created in Kyle.
“You have to perfect the original before you make copies,” Roberts said.
