Laurelhurst Theater

What Laurelhurst Theater does

Laurelhurst Theater is an independently owned, single-location cinema and pub operating in Portland, Oregon since 1923. Originally built by Walter Tebbetts as a single-screen, 650-seat art deco theater, the venue has been renovated into four modern auditoriums while preserving its historic character. Approximately 25 years ago (around 1998-1999), the business pivoted to a theater-and-pub format that permits food and beverage service inside auditoriums during screenings — an uncommon offering among traditional cinemas. The company shows modern, independent, art, and classic films to a primarily adult (21+) Portland-metro audience, with minors allowed at pre-8pm shows when accompanied by a parent.

The core product is film exhibition across four auditoriums, with revenue generated from three streams: ticket sales ($10 general admission, $7 for seniors, students, kids under 12, pre-5pm matinees, and all-day Tuesdays), food and beverage (pizzas, salads, beer, wine, cider, snacks, kombucha), and gift cards (physical at the box office and e-gift via Square). Distribution is direct-to-consumer through an in-person box office and online ticketing provided by RTS Solutions. A weekly Tuesday Mailchimp newsletter drives mid-funnel engagement, and the venue runs monthly community fundraisers for local non-profits as part of its community positioning.

The technology stack is commodity cinema infrastructure — SSL-encrypted payment processing, third-party ticketing, and standard email marketing — with no proprietary AI/ML, data platform, or custom software disclosed. Differentiators are the 100-year brand heritage, curated film programming, food-and-drink-in-auditorium policy, and accessibility services including closed captioning devices, assisted listening headsets with descriptive audio, and weekly Wednesday open caption screenings. Headcount is 1-10 employees and the company is privately held with no disclosed parent, investors, or external funding.

Name

Laurelhurst Theater

Legal name

Laurelhurst Theater

Website

https://laurelhursttheater.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Laurelhurst Theater is an independently owned, single-location historic cinema and pub in Portland, Oregon, operating four auditoriums since 1923 and serving beer, wine, pizza, and curated modern, independent, and classic films to a primarily adult Portland-metro audience.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Movie Theater Services

NAICS

Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Programming, Booking & Repertory Exhibition Services (MPADAKAL)

Keywords

• Movie theater operations
• Independent film screenings
• Cinema food service
• Theater pub experience
• Classic film exhibition

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue from movie ticket sales at various price points based on age, time of day, and day of week
2. Food and Beverage: Sales of pizza, salads, beer, wine, cider, snacks, and beverages consumed in auditoriums during screenings
3. Gift Cards: Physical and e-gift cards sold at box office and through Square platform

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Laurelhurst Theater operates a four-auditorium cinema and pub in Portland, Oregon, showing first-run, second-run, independent, art house, and classic films. Patrons can purchase tickets in-person at the box office or online in advance, and may order pizza, salads, beer, wine, cider, popcorn, candy, and other concessions to consume inside the auditoriums during screenings. The venue supplements screenings with physical and e-gift cards and accessibility services such as closed captioning, assisted listening, descriptive audio, and weekly open caption screenings.

Product overview

Laurelhurst Theater operates as a cinema and pub offering a unified entertainment experience combining movie screenings with food and beverage service. The core product is movie screenings across four auditoriums featuring modern, independent, art, and classic films. Supporting products include food and drink service (pizzas, salads, popcorn, beer, wine, and other concessions), physical and e-gift cards, a mailing list subscription for weekly showtime updates, accessibility services (closed captioning, assisted listening devices, open caption screenings), and coming soon previews for upcoming films. All food and beverages may be enjoyed in the auditoriums during screenings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Movie Screenings First-run, second-run, independent, art house, and classic film screenings across four auditoriums in a 21+ venue; minors with a parent or guardian are admitted to shows starting before 8pm. Targeted at Portland-area adult moviegoers and film enthusiasts.
• Food & Drink Service Concession offerings including cheese, meat, and vegetarian/vegan pizzas, salads, popcorn, candy, cookies, beer (micro pints $7, pitchers $19), wine ($8–$9), cider, soda, coffee, tea, kombucha, CBD sparkling water, and a $10 pint-plus-popcorn combo. Items may be brought into the auditoriums during screenings. Available to ticketed patrons.
• Gift Cards Physical gift cards purchased at the in-person box office and digital e-gift cards fulfilled via Square's online platform, redeemable for tickets, food, and beverages at Laurelhurst Theater.
• Accessibility Services On-site accessibility accommodations including closed captioning devices for hearing-impaired patrons, headphone sets that amplify existing audio and provide descriptive audio for visually impaired patrons, and weekly Wednesday open caption screenings with on-screen dialogue, speaker names, and sounds.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• New Deal CafecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister restaurant providing fresh food including pizzas, salads, and cookies made daily for the theater. New Deal Cafe offers breakfast all day, lunch on weekdays, with emphasis on local organic produce and natural meats.
• RTS SolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationTicket processing provider for online ticket purchases. Customer name, contact, and billing information sent directly to RTS for order processing. No personal data returned to theater website during ordering.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Aladdin Theater: Historic Portland theater presenting a mix of films and live performances. Comparable as a historic single-location Portland venue with curated programming and a food and beverage element.
• Hollywood Theatre: Portland nonprofit cinema specializing in independent, classic, and repertory film programming. Closest peer in programming mix and Portland location, though operated as a nonprofit rather than for-profit.
• Angelika Film Center: Independent art house cinema chain emphasizing independent and specialty film programming. Comparable in its focus on first-run independent, art, and classic films rather than mainstream blockbuster exhibitions.
• McMenamins Mission Theater: McMenamins-operated theater and pub in Portland, combining film screenings with food and beverage service. Mirrors the cinema-plus-pub concept with multiplex-replacement positioning in the same city.
• Bagdad Theater (McMenamins): Portland-based pub-style movie theater operated by McMenamins, serving beer, wine, and food alongside film screenings. Operates an identical theater-and-pub model in the same Portland market, making it the most direct comparable.

Broad incumbents

• Cinemark Theatres: Multinational theater chain operating hundreds of locations with mainstream and some premium offerings. Represents the consolidated national competition pressuring independent exhibitors.
• Regal Cinemas: Large national cinema chain covering mainstream and some specialty programming. Represents the broader multiplex competition that the theater differentiates against through its pub model and curated programming.
• AMC Theatres: National multiplex chain operating thousands of screens with concessions and premium formats. Sets the competitive ceiling against which independent single-location theaters must differentiate.
• Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: National cinema chain combining film exhibition with in-theater food and beverage service. Comparable concept at scale, but operates as a national chain rather than a single historic venue.

Emerging players

• iPic Theaters: Premium dine-in cinema concept combining film screenings with restaurant-quality food and beverage service. Comparable positioning around elevated in-theater F&B experience, though at a different price point.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LaurelhurstTheater
• Instagraminstagram.com/laurelhursttheater
• Xx.com/Laurelhurst

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Laurelhurst Theater