How I Built This with Guy Raz Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: Tim and Karrie League
May 22, 2023
Tim and Karrie League, co-founders of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, share their inspiring journey from a risky theater investment to creating a beloved national chain. They discuss innovative concepts like dining with films and unique programming, including adventurous roadshows. The couple opens up about challenges like failed ventures and legal battles, all while maintaining their creative vision. Their resilience shines through as they navigate the pandemic's impact on the cinema industry, revealing a commitment to redefining the movie-going experience.
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Unusual Courtship
- Tim and Karrie League's courtship began unconventionally at Rice University.
- Tim, a night owl, relied on Karrie to turn in his 8 a.m. calculus homework.
Early Career Discontent
- Both Tim and Karrie felt early dissatisfaction with their initial career paths after graduating from Rice.
- Karrie's peers lacked outside interests, and Tim's job at Shell involved picking office art, not engineering.
Impulsive Beginning
- A "for lease" sign on an abandoned theater sparked Tim's idea for Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
- Within eight days, fueled by "arrogance and ignorance," he signed the lease, using his $50,000 savings.