AMC Dine-In Mesquite 30

rivest266 on October 20, 2009 at 7:19 pm

This is the 5th largest cinema by # of seats on Cinema Treasures.

dallasmovietheaters on March 31, 2015 at 10:21 am

AMC built its first Mesquite multiplex in 1985 with its Towne Crossing 8. It was competing with nearby multiplexes by United Artists and two by General Cinema Corporation (GCC). With newer megaplexes coming into style, the circuits noticed a “migration” away from the aging Town East area multiplexes in 1995/6. In 1996, AMC announced a bombshell which would forever change moviegoing in the area and it was the AMC Mesquite 30.

The 6,360-seat AMC Mesquite 30 would be built on a 33-acre site at the confluence of Interstate 635 and U.S. Highway 80. Unlike many projects prior, AMC would own the land instead of leasing to give the project a bit more permanance than, say, its 24-screen Grand that it would open and then abandon upon the end of its 15-year lease. The 131,000-square-foot theater was one of three 30-screen behomeths along with Houston and L.A. and would soon be joined by a project in Grapevine. Plans for a stand-alone 30-screen Frisco theater were scrapped and later became the 24-screen AMC Stonebriar Mall.

The Mesquite AMC theater would be one exit removed from the Mesquite Championship Rodeo which was receiving a hotel and conference center while a country-western themed nightclub was being built. Befitting of the area, the AMC Mesquite 30 was designed with country western themes. Rest rooms had a rustic old west vibe and the northern concession stand was in the old west general store corridor while the other two were tropical rain forest and computer-centric concepts. A large circular courtyard was built around 18 ticket stands, almost unusable on the many hot days in Mesquite. Initial capacity for the auditroia ranged from 118 to 603 patrons. The project was delayed about eight months and actually opened more than three months after the Grapevine project which had opened in December of 1997. As a result, Mesquite employees were sent to train in the very similar Grapevine Mills 30.

Parking and security issues plagued the AMC Grand and the Mesquite had a different concept. Two golf carts and later Segways used by security guards would monitor the 6,000 car parking lot. And the most distant parking lot could be closed off on less busy weekdays. Launching on March 20, 1998, the impact of the mega-successful Mesquite 30 on the multiplexes just two exits away on I-635 was catastrophic. None would survive past the calendar year as AMC would shutter its own Towne Crossing 8, followed by the GCC Town East 6, the UA Town East 6, and the GCC Town East 5. In January of 1999, Cinemark would shutter its nearby dollar house leaving AMC as the only first-run circuit in the area. It was a competitive coup de grâce.

Even without serious competition, in June of 2009, the theater got its first major retrofit as it would retrofit its largest screen desginated as an IMAX experience auditroium. While these screens were derided by many as “faux Max” screens, they added branding and additional revenue to the location. But an even more grand retrofit occurred in 2013/2014 with AMC — now under Dalian Wanda Group — placed a lot of capital in refreshing theaters nationwide.

The Mesquite 30 was totally revamped becoming a hybrid facility with complete kitchen serving the dine-in “Fork & Screen” theaters, a new MacGuffins Bar area for use by patrons of the “Cinema Suites” reserved seating theaters generally with R-rated features, and some traditional general theaters where patrons brought in traditional snack bar food. Recliner seats greatly reduced overall seat count in the Fork & Screen and Cinema Suite houses. The main concession area received high-tech self-serve Coca-Cola mixing stations and Icee dispensers while the seldom-open auxiliary snack bars were closed. The concept launched February 20, 2014 and showed the theater’s dedication to keeping the property vibrant into the 2020s.

rivest266 on September 1, 2020 at 12:35 pm

March 20th, 1998 grand opening ad posted.

ridethectrain on August 16, 2024 at 9:50 am

Theatres 1 to 17 (exlucding screen 15 and 16) are AMC Rocking Chair seating that dosen’t recline, that reduced the capacity but could hold more then recliners, Theatre 16 seats haven’t change from the orignal Love Seats since it’s not IMAX Laser yet, Theatre 16 is Dolby, Theatre 18 to 24 is AMC Dine IN (No Recliners) and Theatres 25 to 30 is AMC Dine and Recline. @Nothing But Cinema 21-24 is Dine In and 25-30 is Dine and Recline