Entertainment

PLANO – For business executive Mike Doiron, it adds up to a big no-brainer.

"If this is in your neighborhood," he says, peering at the crowd, "why would you go anywhere else? I mean, you come here, you order drinks and food and you see a movie? Why on earth would you ever go anywhere else?"

That's precisely what the owners of Studio Movie Grill want him to think, and these days, Mr. Doiron, 41, who lives in Plano, is hardly alone. The ranks of Studio Movie Grill regulars include Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and hundreds of thousands willing to recommend the concept of this increasingly popular twofer, a movie house and restaurant all in one.

Its popularity has meant more than a bigger ka-ching at the box office. Studio Movie Grill embraces a concept that, at least in the Dallas area, has begun to challenge conventional theaters and offer moviegoers a more enticing alternative to seeing Hollywood's latest.

The seating arrangement at Studio Movie Grill in Arlington features counters for food and drink service.

Since debuting in Addison in 1998 and adding Plano two years later, the chain is suddenly enjoying explosive growth, with new venues in Lewisville, Arlington and Houston. Even more are on the docket for Frisco, North Dallas and Houston by the end of next year.

And it all got started because Brian Schultz, 38, the founder and president of Studio Movie Grill, found his own moviegoing ritual so much less than he wanted it to be.

"I love movies, I'm passionate about movies, I can't see enough movies," says Mr. Schultz, who lives in North Dallas, near the soon-to-be-opened location at Royal Lane and North Central Expressway. "But I didn't enjoy going to movies in the megaplex environment, because of being crammed, not having my own armrest and spending $5 for popcorn.

"I also had the feeling that the people who worked at the theater didn't really care whether I even came to the movie. There was no customer-service aspect whatsoever, so I thought, 'How would I like to see a movie?' "

A movie projector screens a feature at Studio Movie Grill in Arlington.

It had an inauspicious start, with Mr. Schultz launching the concept at Dallas' Granada Theater, an experience he isn't keen on discussing. When the lease ran out on Greenville Avenue, he chose not to renew it.

"We had beer and this weird kind of frozen prepared food," he says. "We made the choice to change the name and re-brand the whole experience, and that morphed from the Granada into the Studio Movie Grill."

The Addison location on Belt Line Road, catering to the hip-young-swinger clientele, opened almost a decade ago in a theater Mr. Schultz chose to renovate. That convinced him to try West Plano in 2000. Again, he renovated an abandoned United Artists theater. He learned, happily, that families would also embrace the concept.

That led to trying Houston in 2006, after which he opened what he calls his flagship in Arlington in January. Unlike its predecessors, it was built from the ground up in an upscale strip mall, packed with state-of-the-art equipment, including Dolby Digital EX sound (now available at each location) and a screen measuring 62 feet across, in Arlington's No. 9 screening room.

By locating at Interstate 20 and Matlock Road, he's able to draw from Oak Cliff, Fort Worth, Midlothian and cities farther away. Its success inspired him to expand to Lewisville in May. North Dallas will open in February, Frisco in the third quarter of 2008.

Born in Chicago but raised in Southern California, Mr. Schultz aspires to run a theater that offers "a comfortable environment with great service. Initially, I wanted the food to be on par with at least Chili's. I think we've surpassed that."

Like most Americans, he feels the need to multitask, like it or not.

"So, I thought, 'How can I time-compress this into a package deal, where I can get dinner and drinks all in one place and have it be a getaway where I can feel good about taking my wife and kids?' "

Jon Hanson, 30, a financial analyst from North Dallas, and Susie Peterka, 29, who works in real estate in North Dallas, welcome the concept for that reason alone.

"I like the concept completely," Mr. Hanson says. "I like to be able to watch a movie and have a decent dinner, all at the same time."

Ms. Peterka likes "the ambience," sitting in black leather "executive rockers" that roll around on wheels, which she finds "far more comfortable" than the cramped, rigid seating available in many theaters.

"You're a lot more spread out here," she says. "You don't feel closed in. And if you want to meet friends for drinks after work and see a movie, this is a great place to do it."

She, for one, isn't bothered by people ordering food and waiters carting it to the tables during previews or, in some cases, after the movie starts. But some people are. Not everyone is a fan of the concept.

"What I don't like about it is, you can't really focus on the movie," says Jennifer Harris, a bank branch manager who lives in Sachse. "They're too preoccupied with people getting drinks and food, like if a waiter or waitress comes up, and somebody needs a refill."

She went to the Plano location, "where they didn't turn the lights all the way down. I found it very distracting. If you're there to see a really, really good movie, the last thing you want is to be interrupted multiple times while trying to focus on a really intense movie."

But Mayling Bartholomew, 36, a project manager in Frisco, says "the feeling of watching it at home" is the venue's primary selling point, that and being able to see first-run movies while getting a meal. Others might still have qualms about the quality of the food. But Charles Hall, 37, who drives to the Arlington location from his home in Oak Cliff, relishes the rib plate and says it's perfect for a movie.

"This is so much better than stale popcorn and a Diet Coke," he says.

Mr. Schultz says food has been the trickiest part of the two-for-one gambit. Like any restaurant, he has an executive chef, who gets the boss's credit for creating the menu's signature items: Coconut chicken tenders, barbecue chicken pizza and frozen hot chocolate.

He's also proud of being able to deliver 1,500 "fresh, made-to-order meals in a one-hour period," which each location averages during weekends.

Lynne McQuaker, director of creative affairs for Studio Movie Grill, has friends in the restaurant business who are most impressed with that. "They can't believe we do that," she says.

Mr. Schultz concedes the biggest challenge of running a movie grill is freeing customers of preconceived myths. One he seeks to undo is that customers will talk more at a movie grill. He contends the opposite is true.

His ultimate goal, he says, is to have individual patrons be able to ask and answer a question when the movie ends. "I want them to say, 'I'm spoiled – so do I want to go to a regular theater again?' " he says.

A trip to Studio Movie Grill is the ultimate lazy date.

I don't mean that in a negative way. If you're frazzled after a tough week at work, or an exhausted parent out on a rare date, it might seem heavenly to just sit in the comfortable chairs, watch a new movie and have someone serve you.

Server Jamie Chambers leaves the kitchen with some dinners at the Studio Movie Grill in Arlington.

During a recent visit to the Plano location, that's just what a friend and I did. Our pair of adult weekday tickets set us back $15.50. Here's how it works: Most of the seating is sort of like sitting at a spacious counter in a leather office chair – there are a couple small tables in the back, too. You have a little gadget, similar to the pagers they give you at restaurants, except this one has a button to press to light it up. When you want something, you press the button. The servers were really unobtrusive, going about their business quietly and efficiently.

My usual movie theater choices are popcorn or candy, and though you can get popcorn here, I can't imagine why you would. I was surprised by the number of options offered, including pizza, quesadillas, salads and desserts.

Most of the entrees were priced between $8.99 and $10.99. Add a couple entrees and drinks to a pair of tickets, and the tab becomes substantial, although probably not a lot more than you'd spend on a typical dinner and movie date. Plus, in my eyes, the novelty and convenience made up for the expense.

We started off with an order of chips and salsa with queso ($6.99). It was so large and filling, neither of us completely finished our dinners. I picked a black bean burger with sweet potato fries ($8.99), while my companion grabbed a barbecue chicken wrap with the same side ($8.99). We both opted for Pepsis at $2.75 a pop.

We watched Elizabeth: The Golden Age, taking in the sumptuous costumes and lavish sets. (How many wigs can one queen own? Lots, apparently.) All in all, it was a feast for the eyes, with plenty for the stomach, too.

Ann Pinson