Kerasotes Theatres
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Movie theatre chain |
| Founded | 1909 |
| Founder | Gus Kerasotes |
| Fate | Majority holdings sold to AMC Entertainment in 2010; partial divestitures in 2024 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Area served | United States (California, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa) |
Key people | Tony Kerasotes (CEO), Dean Kerasotes (COO) |
| Products | Movie theatres, premium cinema brand Showplace ICON |
Kerasotes Showplace Theatres, LLC was an American cinema chain headquartered in Chicago. It stood as the sixth-largest movie-theatre operator in North America, managing nearly 957 screens spread across 95 venues located in states such as California, Colorado, Illinois, and New Jersey.
The enterprise was established in 1909 by Gus Kerasotes, a Greek immigrant, who opened a nickelodeon theater in Springfield, Illinois. Gus, along with his brother Louis G. Kerasotes, directed the company for more than five decades. Eventually, Gus’s four sons joined the leadership, growing the business to a single theatre by the 1930s.
During the 1990s and 2000s, the chain experienced substantial growth, adding several hundred screens to its portfolio. In January 2008, Kerasotes expanded by acquiring Star Cinema from AGT Enterprise, incorporating six theaters located in Wisconsin and Iowa under that brand.
The premium cinema brand Showplace ICON was introduced by Kerasotes on November 20, 2009, debuting venues in Minnesota and Chicago.
On January 19, 2010, Kerasotes agreed to sell the majority of its holdings to AMC Entertainment, Inc., combining the second and sixth largest cinema chains in the United States. This $275 million deal was finalized on May 25, 2010.
Following the sale, Kerasotes Showplace Theatres continued as a family-run business with Tony Kerasotes as CEO and Dean Kerasotes as COO. The company operated six theaters situated in strategic locations including Boston’s Seaport District, Chicago’s South Loop, St. Louis Park near Minneapolis, Mountain View and Santa Clara in California, and Secaucus in New Jersey.
On June 21, 2024, ShowPlace ICON divested its Secaucus venue to Regal Cinemas and its St. Louis Park location to Marcus Theatres, with operations concluding on June 30, 2024.