What City Plex 12 Newark does

CityPlex 12 Newark is a privately held, single-location, first-run movie theater located at 360-394 Springfield Avenue in Newark, New Jersey's Central Ward. The venue was redeveloped and expanded in 2012 from the former 6-screen Loews Newark Metroplex into a 45,000-square-foot, 12-screen, all-digital stadium-seating complex with approximately 2,400 total seats. Co-owned by Boraie Development LLC and Shaquille O'Neal's The O'Neal Group, the facility features Barco 4K digital projection, Dolby 7.1 digital sound, RealD 3D, and a 300-seat premium auditorium branded SHAQ-DX with leather rockers and a 47-foot-wide screen. The approximately $7 million construction was financed through the NOUEZ/BCDC Loan Fund syndicated by Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group, New Jersey Community Capital, and Brick City Development Corporation.

The theater generates revenue from three primary streams: per-transaction box office ticket sales (with time-of-day and promotional pricing tiers including $6.50 early-bird matinees and $1.00 promotional screenings), concession sales (popcorn, snacks, beverages with free popcorn refills), and event hosting fees for birthday parties, private screenings, corporate events, and the Panasonic-sponsored Kids Film Series. Distribution combines a direct-to-consumer physical box office at the Springfield Avenue location with online ticketing through the Fandango marketplace. The customer base is mass-consumer — families and individual moviegoers from Newark and surrounding Essex County — supplemented by community organizations (Boys and Girls Club of Newark, the Newark Museum) for cultural and youth programming. The theater is operated with a lean staff of approximately 17 employees and competes primarily on location convenience, modern amenity parity with suburban multiplexes, and competitive pricing rather than differentiated technology.

Name

City Plex 12 Newark

Legal name

CityPlex12 Newark

Website

https://cityplex12.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CityPlex 12 Newark is a privately held, 12-screen all-digital first-run movie theater with stadium seating and a premium SHAQ-DX auditorium, serving general consumers and community groups in Newark, New Jersey's Central Ward through ticket sales, concessions, and event hosting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Movie Theater / Cinema Services

NAICS

Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131), Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Screenings & Venue Rentals (Corporate, Parties) (MPADAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Special Event Screenings & Pop-up Cinemas (MPADAKAE)

Keywords

• Movie theater operations
• Digital cinema exhibition
• First-run movie screenings
• Premium auditorium experiences
• Community entertainment venues

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from admission tickets for first-run movies across 12 screens, including standard and premium SHAQ-DX auditorium screenings. Pricing varies by showtime (early shows at $6.50, promotional $1.00 movies during special events).
2. Concession Stand: Sale of popcorn, snacks, and beverages from the concession stand. Offers free refills on popcorn. Generates recurring per-transaction revenue from moviegoers.
3. Event Hosting and Private Screenings: Revenue from hosting events, birthday parties, private screenings, and corporate events in the 'Party Room' and expansive lobby areas. Includes the sold-out Kids Film Series sponsored by Panasonic.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CityPlex 12 Newark is a 12-screen, first-run, all-digital movie theater with stadium seating and 3D capability serving Newark, NJ and surrounding Essex County. The venue's signature offering is the SHAQ-DX premium auditorium, a 300-seat stadium-style theater with high-back leather rockers, Dolby 7.1 audio, RealD-3D, and a 47-foot-wide screen. Additional offerings include concession sales, a Party Room for private screenings, birthday parties, and corporate events, plus community programming such as the Panasonic-sponsored Kids Film Series.

Product overview

CityPlex12 Newark operates as a single unified entertainment venue offering first-run movies across 12 screens. The core product is the 12-screen theater complex featuring Barco 4K digital projection, Dolby 7.1 digital sound, RealD-3D, and stadium-style seating throughout all auditoriums. The premium tier is the SHAQ-DX Auditorium, a 300-seat stadium-style venue with luxurious high-back leather rockers and a 47-foot-wide screen. The theater also offers a Kids Film Series community program and hosts events, screenings, and birthday parties in its Party Room.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SHAQ-DX: A 'bigger than life Digital-Xperience' premiere auditorium featuring 300-seat stadium-style seating with luxurious high-back leather rockers, Dolby 7.1 audio, RealD-3D, and a 47 foot-wide screen.

Products and services

• CityPlex 12 Newark First-Run Movie Theater
• SHAQ-DX Premium Auditorium Experience

Quantifiable outcome

• ~10,000 attendees during summer Kids Film Series
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and minor.

• Boraie Development, LLCflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2012Co-owner and developer of CityPlex 12 Newark alongside Shaquille O'Neal. Founded 30 years ago, headquartered in New Brunswick, NJ. Specializes in urban development with over 1 million square feet of commercial and residential development completed in the past decade.
• The O'Neal Group (Shaquille O'Neal)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2012Co-owner with Boraie Development. NBA All-Star and Newark native who formed The O'Neal Group in 2006 to develop residential and commercial properties. Provides celebrity brand association and community connection.
• Boys and Girls Club of NewarkminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2012Community partnership offering movie-going activity to children on Wednesday mornings as part of the Kids Film Series program.
• The Newark MuseumminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2012Community partner for cultural events. CityPlex 12 hosted the closing night for The Newark Museum's annual Newark Black Film Festival and Paul Robeson Awards.
• PanasonicminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2012Community partner and future Newark neighbor. Sponsored the Kids Film Series screening a new film every week throughout summer 2012, which attracted almost 10,000 children and adults.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Studio Movie Grill: Studio Movie Grill operates dine-in first-run theaters combining cinema with in-seat food service. Its hybrid cinema/event-hosting model is comparable to CityPlex12's positioning of a primary cinema operation augmented by private event and birthday party revenue.
• Regal Cinemas: Regal Cinemas (owned by Cineworld) is the second-largest U.S. theater chain with hundreds of multiplex locations. It operates the same first-run exhibition model with stadium seating, premium large-format screens, and concessions, making it a direct comparable for CityPlex12's business model and competitive dynamics.
• AMC Theatres: AMC is the largest movie theater chain in the United States with thousands of locations. As a direct competitor operating first-run commercial cinemas with stadium seating, premium formats (IMAX, Dolby), and concessions, AMC represents the scale benchmark that CityPlex12 competes against regionally.
• Cinemark: Cinemark is the third-largest U.S. movie theater chain with locations nationwide. Its multiplex format, XD premium screens, and concession offerings align directly with CityPlex12's positioning as a mid-market first-run cinema operator.
• Bow Tie Cinemas: Bow Tie Cinemas is an independent regional theater chain with locations across the Northeast U.S. including New Jersey. As an independent operator focused on first-run exhibition in urban and suburban markets, Bow Tie is closely comparable to CityPlex12 in business model and geographic operating context.
• Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: Alamo Drafthouse is a premium dine-in cinema chain known for curated programming, in-theater dining, and community-focused events. Its event-hosting and community-engagement approach mirrors CityPlex12's emphasis on cultural programming and birthday/event rentals as revenue streams.
• IPIC Theatres: IPIC Theatres operates premium dine-in movie theaters with luxury seating and food service. While upscale, IPIC's emphasis on premium auditorium experiences parallels CityPlex12's SHAQ-DX positioning as a differentiated premium-format offering within the first-run exhibition category.

Regional players

• Marquee Cinemas: Marquee Cinemas is a regional chain operating mid-size multiplex theaters across the Southeast and Midwest. Its scale and first-run exhibition focus parallel CityPlex12's standalone mid-market theater operations.
• Marcus Theatres: Marcus Theatres is a regional cinema chain concentrated in the Midwest U.S. It operates multiplex first-run theaters with premium formats similar to CityPlex12's 12-screen setup, though focused on a different geographic region.
• B&B Theatres: B&B Theatres is a family-owned regional theater chain operating multiplex locations across the central U.S. Its independent-operator status and similar scale (mid-size multiplexes) make it a comparable peer to CityPlex12's single-location independent operation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/city-plex-12-newark

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 City Plex 12 Newark