Harkins Theatres
Harkins Theatres is a privately held, Southwest U.S.-focused movie theater chain founded in 1933 that operates physical cinema locations serving general moviegoers through ticket sales and concession revenue.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1933
- HeadquartersScottsdale, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Harkins Theatres does
Harkins Theatres is a privately held movie theater operator founded in 1933 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. The company owns and operates physical cinema locations primarily across the Southwest United States, serving general moviegoers — families, couples, and individual consumers — who purchase admission tickets and on-site concessions such as popcorn and beverages. Harkins is identified as one of the eight largest theater chains in the U.S. and Canada and is participating in a multi-year, industry-wide modernization program committing a combined $2.2 billion to upgrade seating, projection, sound, and dining across more than 21,000 screens.
The business operates as a direct-to-consumer entertainment enterprise with two primary revenue streams: transactional movie ticket sales and concession/food service revenue. Pricing varies by location, film format, showtime, and seat selection but is not publicly disclosed. Marketing leverages national promotional events such as National Popcorn Day to drive concession attach rates and foot traffic, rather than disclosed proprietary digital channels. The company does not maintain a mobile app, and no API, SDK, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.
Operationally, Harkins appears active but conservative in its capital deployment. A planned theater development in Laveen (southwest Phoenix) on land Harkins owned was abandoned, with Target announced as the replacement retailer on that site — signaling a retreat from greenfield expansion in at least one Southwest submarket. Senior leadership includes a Vice President of Content and Programming (Rob Westerling), consistent with a programming-led regional chain rather than a technology-led operator.
Harkins Theatres firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Harkins Theatres
- Website
- https://harkinstheatres.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1933
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Harkins Theatres is a privately held, Southwest U.S.-focused movie theater chain founded in 1933 that operates physical cinema locations serving general moviegoers through ticket sales and concession revenue.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Harkins Theatres industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Movie Theater Exhibition
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)
Keywords
Where Harkins Theatres is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Scottsdale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Harkins Theatres business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Movie ticket sales: Primary revenue from selling admission tickets to movie screenings. Revenue is transactional, varying by film, showtime, and seat selection.
- Concessions and food service: Significant revenue stream from popcorn, beverages, snacks, and food items. Harkins participates in National Popcorn Day promotions to drive concession sales.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Harkins Theatres product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Harkins Theatres owns and operates a regional chain of movie theaters across the Southwest United States. The company sells movie tickets and concessions (including popcorn, beverages, and snacks) at its brick-and-mortar cinema locations. It also offers party halls and exhibitor services as part of its venue-based entertainment business.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Movie Theatre Experience
- Concession and Food Service
- Party Halls and Exhibitor Services
Companies that use Harkins Theatres
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Harkins Theatres technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Harkins Theatres partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Harkins Theatres competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AMC Theatres: The largest movie theater chain in the world, operating thousands of screens across the U.S. AMC is a direct competitor to Harkins for theatrical exhibition, concessions, and premium-format upgrades, and participates in the same industry-wide modernization cycle.
- Regal Cinemas: One of the largest U.S. movie theater chains, owned by Cineworld. Regal competes directly with Harkins in exhibition, concession, and premium format categories and is also part of the $2.2B modernization cohort.
- Cinemark Holdings: Major publicly-traded U.S. theater chain with hundreds of locations. Cinemark directly competes with Harkins in film exhibition, F&B, and premium experiences, and shares exposure to the same modernization capital cycle.
- Marcus Theatres: A Midwest-based regional theater chain of comparable scale to Harkins, also part of the eight-chain modernization group. Highly comparable in footprint scope, family ownership heritage, and regional density strategy.
- B&B Theatres: A privately-held, family-owned regional theater chain in the U.S. similar in size and ownership profile to Harkins, also participating in the $2.2B modernization initiative. Comparable on family-led, regional-density model.
- Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: Premium dine-in theater chain focused on elevated food-and-beverage alongside film exhibition. Comparable to Harkins on the premium positioning, F&B attach, and modernization dimensions even with a different operating model.
- Studio Movie Grill: Dine-in movie theater chain that competes in the same premium F&B-plus-film category as Harkins, with a focus on enhanced hospitality and premium seating upgrades.
- Landmark Theatres: Art-house and premium-format cinema operator that competes with Harkins for the premium moviegoer segment, particularly in upgraded seating and curated programming experiences.
Emerging players
- Emagine Entertainment: A growing regional theater chain in the Midwest that has invested in luxury seating, in-theater dining, and premium formats. Comparable to Harkins as a regional player pursuing premiumization.
Regional players
- Reading Cinemas: A multi-national cinema chain with significant U.S. presence, operating in similar exhibition and concession categories as Harkins but with a more international footprint and different geographic concentration.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Harkins Theatres social profiles
Digital presenceHarkins Theatres financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Harkins Theatres leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Harkins Theatres funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Harkins Theatres M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Harkins Theatres
What does Harkins Theatres do?
Harkins Theatres owns and operates a regional chain of movie theaters across the Southwest United States. The company sells movie tickets and concessions (including popcorn, beverages, and snacks) at its brick-and-mortar cinema locations. It also offers party halls and exhibitor services as part of its venue-based entertainment business.
When was Harkins Theatres founded?
Harkins Theatres was founded in 1933. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Harkins Theatres based?
Harkins Theatres is headquartered in Scottsdale, United States, in the North America region.
How does Harkins Theatres make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Movie ticket sales are the primary driver. The others are concessions and food service.
Who are Harkins Theatres's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AMC Theatres, Regal Cinemas, Cinemark Holdings, Marcus Theatres, B&B Theatres, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Studio Movie Grill and Landmark Theatres. Emagine Entertainment is listed as an emerging player. Reading Cinemas is listed as a regional player.
Does Harkins Theatres have an API?
No public API is recorded for Harkins Theatres.
What industry is Harkins Theatres in?
Harkins Theatres's product category is Movie Theater Exhibition. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGALAB, Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses). Its NAICS code is 51213 and its SIC code is 7830.