A cinema-brewery from Round Rock, Flix Brewhouse, has announced that it is taking over four Alamo Drafthouse locations across Texas. The theaters — in West and East El Paso, Katy (a Houston suburb), and Lubbock — had been operated under Alamo's franchise partner Triple Tap Ventures, but Flix Brewhouse has now acquired them directly.

This means the three metros no longer have an Alamo Drafthouse at all. The new Flix locations will undergo a short rebranding period and open February 23 "in time for Scream 7," according to a press release. Tickets will go on sale February 13.

"Our franchise partner Triple Tap Ventures, which operates four locations in Texas (Houston, El Paso, East El Paso, and Lubbock), will no longer operate these theaters under the Alamo Drafthouse brand," the company said in a statement copied and slightly modified for each market. "We’re grateful to the teammates and guests [in the other cities where cinemas are closing] for their support over the years and wish them all the best. We hope to return to these communities in the future."

Founded in 1997 in Austin, Alamo Drafthouse became a leading name in cinemas thanks to their pioneering restaurant format, unique programming, hybrid live events, and dedication to indie films. The chain expanded to Houston in 2003, Lubbock in 2014, and El Paso in 2016.

In 2024, Sony Pictures acquired the chain amid closures and bankruptcies all over Texas. It was part of a slew of studio-owned cinemas that sprang up after the fall of the Paramount Consent Decrees in 2020, but it appears even Sony's support was not enough to save the four cinemas.

In Houston, Rob Saucedo, the former head of programming who now operates the River Oaks Theatre in much the same way he did Alamo, posted a bittersweet statement to Facebook after the closure was announced.

"It feels weird for these theaters I spent so much time and energy into building a community around to suddenly close," he writes. "It’s a reminder that nothing is permanent. The locations will be reopened soon under a new brand and folks will still be able to see movies there. Graveyard Shift, the weekly horror series I created, will be dead though. So will so many other practices I built, big and small."

Alamo Drafthouses across Texas remain open, including in Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio.

This development will bring Flix Brewhouse to 15 screens across six states. El Paso now stands out in the lineup as the only city with three locations. The experience will be similar to Alamo Drafthouse for movie-goers who are looking for a place to eat during the movie; menu items include burgers, pizzas, common pub snacks that are easy to share, desserts, and a selection of vegan and vegetarian items.

“This acquisition is a natural extension of who we are and what we believe in,” said Flix CEO Chance Robertson in the release. “Cinema success today means creating better experiences. We’re grateful to the entire Triple Tap team for their work in cultivating these moviegoing communities, and we’re honored to carry that legacy forward.”

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CultureMap Austin editor Brianna Caleri contributed to this report.