Who doesn’t love going to the movies? Going out, grabbing some popcorn and catching the latest flick is a classic way to spend a weekend night with your buddies.
So wouldn’t it be nice if our dogs could go out to the movies, too? We’ve all hung out with our pets while watching Netflix at home, and while they might not understand the plot or dialogue, they still make wonderful viewing partners.
Now one movie theater is offering the best of both worlds—the fun of going out to the movies and the companionship of your buddy—in the first movie theater catering to dogs.
The theater is K9 Cinemas, located in Plano, Texas. Tickets cost $15, good for one person and up to two dogs.
K9 currently offers screenings every Friday and Saturday night. The one-screen blackbox theater sells about 25 tickets per showtime. While it’d be nice to take your dog to see the new Lion King remake, they don’t show new releases; instead they show “fun nostalgic black and white movies” announced night-of, as well as special screenings like the Game of Thrones finale and Christmas movies around the holidays.
Plus, it includes a major perk for the humans: free alcohol.
A ticket entitles you to free bottomless wine, whiskey, or soft drinks. Who could say no to that?
“We have a big heart for our furry family members in our lives, and believe they should get a night out with you!” the site reads.
We want people to be able to relax and watch the movie just like they would at home,” owner Eric Lankford told NBC 5 when the theater first opened in December.
The 29-year-old founder is, as you’d expect, a dog lover himself: he owns an Australian Eskimo puppy named Bear. He says he got the idea for the theater after moving to Texas in 2017, and realizing there was a market for more pet friendly spaces.
“Moving down here, it’s so much more dog friendly,” he told Guide Live. “I tried to book a grooming appointment and it had two-week waiting period. The demand was crazy.”
The theater does have a few “doggone rules” patrons must follow. You must clean up after your dogs, and you also need proof that they are up to date on their vaccinations.
The theater went from being a pop-up to being semi-permanent, and Lankford’s future goal is to expand to nightly showtimes—whether or not anyone comes.
“The vision is to be open every day,” he said. “If no one shows up, I don’t care. I have a theater where Bear and I can go watch movies.”
If you’re a dog owner near Plano, Texas (or even if you don’t own a dog, but want to hang out with a bunch of them while drinking wine) why not check it out?
And if you’re an entrepreneur who wishes they had come up with this idea, you’re in luck: the company is looking to expand to other cities. Hurry, because the rest of us want a night out like this.
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