FunFlicks Outdoor Movies President and CEO Darrell Landers said his business started as “something to do” and turned into a successful nationwide company.
“When I started it, I thought it was going to be a [$40,000 to $50,000 per year] side gig, and it just grew into something much, much bigger,” he said.
Pflugerville-based FunFlicks Outdoor Movies of Texas rents out inflatable movie screens in seven sizes for various crowd sizes and occasions, such as movies in the park and neighborhood movie nights. FunFlicks customers get all the necessary equipment along with the screen as well as a technician at the location. Customers can also purchase popcorn that is prepared on-site.
He said after some thorough research he discovered the company FunFlicks in Maryland, where it had started in 2002. He became the first license holder in the country to use the FunFlicks name in 2008.
He said he left Cisco in 2009 and started working on FunFlicks full-time. Then, in 2013, Landers and his business partner, Laura Mauro, bought the nationwide business from its previous owner. He is now president and CEO of FunFlicks Inc., the national brand, and of FunFlicks Outdoor Movies of Texas.
FunFlicks now has 93 locations nationwide and is the only national outdoor movie equipment rental company, Landers said. FunFlicks Outdoor Movies of Texas operates 14 locations in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia.
FunFlicks shows 10,000-12,000 movies a year nationwide and 2,500 movies annually in Texas. Ninety cities in Texas work with FunFlicks for their outdoor movie nights. Customers also include churches, Home Owners Associations and schools.
Because of the demand from some of the company’s customers for inflatables aside from movie equipment, Landers created a sister company in 2014 called Premiere Inflatables. Premiere Inflatables rents inflatable products such as water slides, bounce houses and obstacle courses.
Landers said Premiere Inflatables focuses on the mid- to higher-end market and includes medium-sized combo units, such as a bounce house with slides and a basketball court, as well as 65-foot slides, zip lines and obstacle courses.
Outdoor movies
For rent: Equipment, a technician, seven sizes of inflatable screens, and fresh popcorn made at the event
Available for: Neighborhood movie nights Live TV events Birthday parties Video game parties Movies in the park Film festivals
16300 Central Commerce Drive, Pflugerville 512-501-6362 www.funflicks.com Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., closed Sun.
