Alamo Drafthouse executives and staff invited the media and guests to a tour of the Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane still under construction Feb. 2.
Here are some highlights from the hour-long tour of the dine-in theater.
The Lobby: The sign in the Slaughter Lane location's lobby is a mix between an alien invasion concept and a homage to the nearby Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, CEO/Founder Tim League said. Patrons will buy tickets at the bar. There will be custom carpeting, LED lights, digital movie posters and projectors playing clips overhead.
The Restrooms: The restrooms have several enviromentally friendly features, such as low-flow urinals.
The Hallways: The hallways will showcase Mondo Posters. Mondo Posters are artistically reimagined movie posters that are sold at the South Lamar location.
Film archives: One hallway will house most of the Drafthouse's 3,000-piece collection of rare and collectable 35-milimeter genre films. League said the 1960s and 1970s are a period of filmmaking history that will never come again, and the Drafthouse's nonprofit is attempting to curate as many films as possible that do not attract the interest of other preservation groups.
Kitchen: The Slaughter Lane kitchen is able to feed more people more quickly than other Drafthouse locations. Executive Chef John Bullington said the site's 16 cooks will use three ovens, eight cooking elements, 10 stock pots and a testing area to prepare food.
The theaters: The Slaughter Lane location has eight theaters that seat a total of 832 people. Two will be able to show 3-D movies. One theater seats 32 and can be rented for smaller parties and screenings. Slaughter Lane has wall-to-wall screens and uses Sony projectors. Slaughter Lane also has a "no bad seat in the house" design concept where the closest seat is as far away from the screen as the screen itself is tall.
The seats: Patrons don't have to choose between disturbing their row or crawling underneath the table in front of them. New tables are meant to be shared by two people, and patrons can come and go between them.
The 400 Rabbits: The 400 Rabbits is a cocktail bar where people can go "before, after or in spite of their movie," Beverage Director Bill Norris said. It will serve tequila, mescal and agave products and have a simple menu based on Latin American street food. It will have a separate door, screens that let you know when movies are about to start and brunch during the weekend, he said.
Site background: League said the Slaughter Lane location was designed four years ago, but the entire Parkside Village project was put on hold during the financial downturn. "When we got the OK that we were back on, they said we are breaking ground in two weeks," he said. "We ordered all of the steels and stayed within the same footprint. We couldn't change all that much to the design that had been before."
"I'm super excited," League said. "I try to watch a movie at one of our locations each week. I cannot wait to start watching movies here."