Art House Cinema & Pub

What Art House Cinema & Pub does

Art House Cinema & Pub is a private nonprofit independent cinema organization founded in 2013 by Matt and Kate Blakeslee and based in Billings, Montana. It operates two venues: Art House Cinema & Pub at 109 N 30th Street, featuring three theaters (Fortin 96 seats, Taj Singh up to 45 seats, Vista 55 seats) alongside a full-service artisan food and craft beverage pub; and Babcock Theatre at 2810 2nd Ave N, a historic 750-seat movie palace built in 1907 that has been city-owned and managed by Art House since November 2018. Babcock has been temporarily closed since a ceiling collapse on May 28, 2025, with restoration planning underway with Cushing Terrell and Langlas & Associates.

The company programs independent, foreign, documentary, and classic films unavailable in the broader Billings market, plus curated series (Nostalgia Night, Late Night, Art House Presents, Staff Birthday Picks) and live performance programming such as The Listening Lounge songwriter series in partnership with Frae Collective. Beyond screenings, the operation is supported by a seven-tier membership program (Basic $3/month through Producer $1,750/year) that bundles ticket discounts, complimentary tickets, VIP events, and ancillary perks; theater rental bookings from $225 to $600 per 4-hour block for private and corporate events; concessions and pub F&B; and tax-deductible donations processed through Neon CRM.

The go-to-market motion is local direct-to-consumer, with weekly email newsletter, Instagram/Facebook/Letterboxd/YouTube organic social, two podcasts (Art House Rewind, The Makers), and local earned media as primary acquisition channels. Ticketing is sold via the company website and on-site box office; rental demand is captured via PerfectVenue. The organization runs with roughly 6 employees, leaning heavily on community volunteers and business sponsors. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Art House Cinema & Pub

Legal name

Art House Cinema & Pub

Website

https://arthousebillings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Art House Cinema & Pub is a Billings, Montana nonprofit operating an independent three-screen arthouse cinema with a full-service pub and managing the historic 750-seat Babcock Theatre, serving local film enthusiasts, members, event renters, and donors across ticket, concessions, membership, and rental revenue streams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Cinema & Hospitality

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent & Art-house Cinemas (MPADAKAB)

Keywords

• Independent cinema operations
• Arthouse film exhibition
• Cinema pub dining
• Theater event rentals
• Membership subscriptions

Headquarters

HQ city

Billings

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from movie screenings and special events at Art House Cinema & Pub and Babcock Theatre locations. Standard admission $9, with discounted rates for seniors, students, military, and members.
2. Food & Beverage / Concessions: Full-service pub at Art House Cinema & Pub offering artisan food, craft beers, wine, cocktails, popcorn, and snacks. Kitchen opens at 4pm weekdays and 12pm weekends. Babcock Theatre offers concessions including beer, cider, wine, and canned cocktails.
3. Memberships: Multiple membership tiers (Basic, Artisan, Premium, Family, Celebrity, Director, Producer) providing discounted tickets, free tickets, free popcorn, VIP events, and unlimited ticket benefits. Ranging from $3/month to $1,750/year.
4. Theater Rentals: All three theaters at Art House plus the Babcock Theatre are available for private and public event rentals including weddings, parties, corporate events, concerts, and screenings. Rates range from $225-$600 for 4-hour blocks depending on variables.
5. Donations: Non-profit cinema accepting donations to support operations, particularly for Babcock Theatre restoration following ceiling collapse on May 28, 2025.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Art House Cinema & Pub operates an independent, non-profit cinema and full-service pub in downtown Billings, Montana, featuring three screens (Fortin Theatre with 96 seats, Taj Singh Theatre with up to 45 seats, Vista Theatre with 55 seats) that screen arthouse, indie, foreign, documentary, and classic films. The venue pairs film programming with artisan food, craft beer, wine, cocktails, and snacks, and it also manages the historic 750-seat Babcock Theatre (currently temporarily closed) under a City of Billings agreement.

Product overview

Art House Billings operates as a dual-venue cinema and hospitality business consisting of Art House Cinema & Pub (109 N 30th Street) and the historic Babcock Theatre (2810 2nd Ave N, currently temporarily closed). Art House Cinema & Pub features three screens—Fortin Theatre (96 seats), Taj Singh Theatre (up to 45 seats), and Vista Theatre (55 seats)—specializing in indie and arthouse films alongside a full dining pub experience. The Babcock Theatre, a 750-seat historic movie palace built in 1907, previously showcased mainstream blockbusters and classic films. The business offers tiered membership programs (Basic through Producer levels), theater rentals for private and public events, concessions and pub dining, The Listening Lounge concert series, and two podcasts (Art House Rewind and The Makers). Programming includes special film series such as Nostalgia Night, Late Night screenings, and Art House Presents events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Art House Cinema & Pub (cinema screenings and pub service)
• Babcock Theatre (cinema screenings and large events)
• Memberships
• Theater Rentals
• The Listening Lounge

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Frae CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenting The Listening Lounge, an ongoing songwriter series celebrating local talent. Frae Collective partners with Art House to host this event on their stage during summer months, featuring Katy Kemmick and other local songwriters.
• This House of BookscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting special screenings for community causes. Co-presented Men in Black screening with This House of Books to honor Matt Marullo and raise funds for American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
• Cushing TerrellminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture/engineering firm working with Art House Billings on Babcock Theatre restoration following ceiling collapse on May 28, 2025.
• Langlas & AssociatesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction/engineering partner working with Art House Billings on Babcock Theatre restoration following ceiling collapse.
• Rankin Law, PLLCminorOthersPremier sponsor of Babcock Theatre. Business-level sponsorship support.
• Corby SkinnerminorOthersBusiness sponsor of Babcock Theatre. Fine arts business sponsorship.
• City of BillingscoreOthersIn 2018, City of Billings purchased the Babcock Theatre and awarded management to Art House Cinema. Art House operates the historic landmark for the city.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SIFF Cinema: Nonprofit cinema organization operating multiple screens in Seattle with curated film programming, festivals, and educational programming — comparable as a multi-screen nonprofit cinema operator.
• Angelika Film Center: Arthouse cinema chain focusing on independent, foreign, and documentary films — directly comparable to Art House's indie/arthouse film curation and exhibition model.
• The Charles Theatre: Independent nonprofit cinema in Baltimore featuring indie, foreign, and repertory programming with a full bar and food service — closely matches Art House's indie cinema + food & beverage hybrid model.
• Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: Cinema chain combining theatrical exhibition with full-service dining and craft beverages — most comparable scaled operator to Art House Cinema & Pub's combined cinema + pub + food service model.
• Coolidge Corner Theatre: Nonprofit independent cinema in Brookline, MA offering curated arthouse, foreign, and classic film programming with tiered membership and community engagement — closely comparable to Art House's nonprofit arthouse cinema model.
• The Loft Cinema: Nonprofit independent cinema in Tucson featuring repertory, indie, and foreign films with community events and memberships — comparable nonprofit arthouse cinema operating model.
• AFI Silver Theatre: Nonprofit arthouse cinema in Silver Spring, MD operated by the American Film Institute, featuring curated indie, foreign, and classic film programming with membership tiers — directly comparable nonprofit cinema model.
• Ragtag Cinema: Nonprofit independent cinema in Columbia, MO offering curated film programming with an attached café — directly comparable to Art House Cinema & Pub's combination of indie programming, dining, and nonprofit community-engaged model.
• Tower Theatre (Salt Lake City): Historic nonprofit theater in Salt Lake City operated by the Utah Film Center, showing curated indie and classic films with community programming — closely comparable to Art House's management of the historic Babcock Theatre.

Broad incumbents

• Marcus Theatres: Mid-sized regional cinema chain with locations across multiple U.S. states — represents the broader cinema exhibition industry context, though operates at significantly larger scale with mainstream programming focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZ6ttbHSXnJ7MouDd59jwug
• Facebookfacebook.com/arthousebillings
• Instagraminstagram.com/arthousebillings
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/art-house-cinema-&-pub

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Art House Cinema & Pub