Marcus Theatres: “People Pleasing People.”
February 25, 2023
The Marcus Corporation is an American publicly held company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
On November 1, 1935, Ben Marcus bought a movie theatre in Ripon, Wisconsin. This one theatre marked the beginning of what today is one of the country’s leading entertainment companies.
Today, Ben’s son, Stephen H. Marcus, is chairman of the company, and Stephen’s son, Gregory S. Marcus, is president and chief executive officer of The Marcus Corporation.
The Marcus Theatres company owns and/or manages movie theatres in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Ohio. In 2000, the chain began offering moviegoers the chance to buy advance tickets when it entered into a partnership with MovieTickets.com.
In 2008, Marcus acquired seven theater locations in Nebraska from Douglas Theatre Company.
In August 2013, Rolando B. Rodriguez, an experienced CEO with a proven track
record for revenue and profit growth, was appointed as president and chief executive officer of Marcus Theatres. Two months after Rodriguez took over, the company introduced two new initiatives: $5 admission for any movie on Tuesdays at select theaters and an alternative programming block known as “Theatre Entertainment Network.”
The chain began a new partnership with ticketing agent Fandango, in the fall of 2015.
In December 2016, Marcus Theatres acquired 14 theaters in four states owned by Wehrenberg Theatres.
In November 2018, at a cost of $126 million paid out in a combination of cash and stocks, Marcus Theaters, acquired Movie Tavern to expand into Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Pennsylvania,
In 2018, Marchus Theatres had a total of 1098 screens at 90 locations in 17 states. Today there are 84 Marcus Theatres in the United States.
COVID-19
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2019, the world changed dramatically. Stores, schools and even churches had to close to the public. All Marcus Cinemas and Movie Tavern theaters closed for an indefinite period of time after the 8:30 p.m. showtimes on March 17, 2020. Marcus Theaters chairman, president and CEO Rolando Rodriguez pledged full cooperation with the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
Marcus Theatres’ facilities are second-to-none, as they offer the latest amenities and technology in stadium seating, digital sound, innovative food and beverage concepts and 72-feet-wide UltraScreen DLXs®.
The Marcus Corporation has an important: “People Pleasing People.” It is this pledge that makes The Marcus Corporation a leader in entertainment.
Gloria Sauvé
Communications