Studio Movie Grill

Studio Movie Grill is an American cinema chain built around the dine-in movie-theater format. Based in Dallas, Texas, the company operates theaters where customers can watch currently released films while ordering meals and beverages for delivery to the lounge area or directly to their seats. Its venues generally include a bar and lounge component, making the brand’s offer broader than conventional movie exhibition: the visit is positioned as a combined entertainment and dining occasion. The business began in 1993 when Brian Schultz opened the Granada Prestonwood in Addison, Texas. The original venue used a hospitality-oriented design that included five screens, private luxury boxes, and valet parking. The concept subsequently developed into the Studio Movie Grill chain, with the company applying restaurant-style service and comfortable seating to the cinema environment. This format differentiated the brand from both traditional multiplexes and standalone restaurants by integrating food service into the filmgoing experience. Studio Movie Grill expanded across the United States during the 1990s and 2000s. By 2019, the chain had reached 33 locations in 10 states and more than 300 screens. Its operating model depended on customer visits, film attendance, and on-premises food and beverage sales, so the COVID-19 pandemic created a severe disruption. Theater closures and reduced attendance caused substantial losses and left the company with limited cash reserves. In October 2020, Studio Movie Grill sought protection under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. The restructuring occurred during the pandemic rather than as a routine expansion or strategic transaction. The company continued operating some locations in modified ways, including retaining food-delivery orders at many venues while its traditional theater business was constrained. In April 2021, Studio Movie Grill announced that it had emerged from bankruptcy after securing funding through a new equity arrangement. The restructuring also marked a leadership transition. Brian Schultz, who had served as chief executive for 27 years, left the CEO role in April 2021. Ted Croft, previously the company’s longtime chief financial officer and chief operating officer, became CEO after helping guide the business through the pandemic and restructuring process. Following the contraction associated with the pandemic and bankruptcy, the chain operated on a smaller scale. The referenced company profile describes Studio Movie Grill as having 18 locations in five states—California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, and Texas—with more than 150 screens as of 2024. Its headquarters occupies office space in the Hidden Grove office building in North Dallas; the company moved there in 2016 from an earlier headquarters location. Studio Movie Grill therefore remains an active regional United States cinema brand, with its identity centered on dine-in service, hospitality, and a movie-and-meal experience rather than on film production or conventional theater-only exhibition.

Studio Movie Grill was founded in 1993 by Brian Schultz in the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas. Its starting point was the Granada Prestonwood in Addison, Texas, a five-screen venue designed around a more hospitality-oriented form of moviegoing. The theater included private luxury boxes and valet parking, features that helped establish the company’s emphasis on comfort and service. The initial concept evolved into the Studio Movie Grill chain. Rather than operating solely as a traditional cinema, Studio Movie Grill combined film exhibition with restaurant and lounge functions. Its theaters feature a bar and lounge area, and meals can be served either in the lounge or at customers’ seats before and during screenings. This dine-in approach became the defining characteristic of the brand and provided a way to combine entertainment spending with food and beverage purchases. The chain expanded over time across multiple American states. By 2019, it had grown to 33 locations in 10 states, with more than 300 screens. Its corporate headquarters moved in 2016 to a larger office area in the Hidden Grove office building in North Dallas. The referenced profile identifies the headquarters as approximately 20,200 square feet, replacing a previous approximately 16,600-square-foot office location. The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected the company. Restrictions, temporary theater closures, and the loss of regular attendance reduced revenue and contributed to significant losses. Studio Movie Grill’s cash reserves became limited, and in October 2020 the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. While the conventional cinema business was disrupted, many locations remained involved in food-delivery orders, allowing the company to preserve at least part of its hospitality operation during the crisis. In April 2021, Studio Movie Grill announced that it had completed its bankruptcy process and obtained funding through a new equity deal. The restructuring coincided with a change in senior leadership. Schultz, who had been chief executive for 27 years, left the CEO position. Ted Croft, the company’s longtime CFO and COO, became CEO after helping navigate the pandemic and the bankruptcy proceedings. The post-restructuring business was smaller than the pre-pandemic chain. The referenced profile reports 18 locations in five states—California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, and Texas—with more than 150 screens as of 2024. Studio Movie Grill continues to be characterized as an active regional American dine-in cinema chain, with its core proposition based on combining film screenings, restaurant-style meals, beverages, bar service, and a lounge-oriented theater environment.

• 2024

  Reduced operating footprint

  [1]Studio Movie Grillen.wikipedia.org

  The referenced profile reported 18 locations in five states and more than 150 screens.

• 2021

  Emergence from bankruptcy and CEO transition

  [1]Studio Movie Grillen.wikipedia.org

  Studio Movie Grill announced that it had emerged from bankruptcy following a new equity funding arrangement. Ted Croft became CEO, replacing Brian Schultz.

• 2020

  Chapter 11 filing

  [1]Studio Movie Grillen.wikipedia.org

  The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after pandemic-related disruption caused losses and reduced its cash reserves.

• 2019

  Pre-pandemic expansion peak

  [1]Studio Movie Grillen.wikipedia.org

  Studio Movie Grill was described as operating 33 locations in 10 states with more than 300 screens.

• 2016

  Headquarters move to North Dallas

  [1]Studio Movie Grillen.wikipedia.org

  The company moved its headquarters to office space in the Hidden Grove office building in North Dallas.

• 1993

  Founding and opening of the original Addison venue

  [1]Studio Movie Grillen.wikipedia.org

  Brian Schultz founded Studio Movie Grill and opened the Granada Prestonwood in Addison, Texas. The five-screen venue introduced the hospitality-focused concept that later developed into the chain.

A hospitality-led cinema experience that combines current-film exhibition with restaurant dining, lounge service, and food and beverage delivery to theater seats.

• Cinema exhibition · 1993

  Dine-in movie screenings

  Studio Movie Grill’s principal offering is the screening of feature films in theaters designed for dining. Customers can order meals and beverages while watching a film, with service available before and during the presentation. The format turns a conventional movie ticket into part of a broader restaurant-and-entertainment visit.

• Food and beverage · 1993

  Restaurant meals and snacks

  The chain provides restaurant-style food and snack service within its cinema venues. Orders may be delivered to the customer’s theater seat or served in the venue’s lounge area, making food service an integrated component of the cinema experience rather than a separate concession-only purchase.

• Hospitality · 1993

  Bar and lounge service

  Studio Movie Grill locations feature bar and lounge areas that support the brand’s hospitality positioning. These spaces give customers an alternative setting for food and beverage service and extend the visit beyond the auditorium itself.

• Food service · 2020

  Food delivery

  During the COVID-19 disruption, many Studio Movie Grill locations remained open for food-delivery orders while normal theater operations were constrained. The delivery activity represented an adaptation of the chain’s food-service capabilities during a period of reduced cinema attendance.

• 2021

  Post-bankruptcy leadership transitionOther

  Background

  The transition followed the company’s pandemic-era restructuring and bankruptcy process.

  Action taken

  Ted Croft became chief executive officer, succeeding Brian Schultz after Schultz’s 27-year tenure as CEO.

  Aftermath

  Croft led the company after its emergence from bankruptcy and new equity financing.

  Source

• 2020

  Chapter 11 restructuringOther

  Background

  The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted theater operations, reduced attendance, caused losses, and left the company with low cash reserves.

  Action taken

  Studio Movie Grill filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in October 2020.

  Aftermath

  The company continued some food-delivery activity during the disruption and later secured new equity funding before emerging from bankruptcy in April 2021.

  Source

1. 1Studio Movie Grillen.wikipedia.org