As expected, Texas chain to take over Naples movie theater

After weeks of social media chatter, it’s official: Austin-based Alamo Drafthouse Cinema will move into the Mercato in Naples.

The high-end lifestyle center announced on Facebook on Monday that the Texas chain would take over the space occupied until Sunday by Miami-based Silverspot Cinema.

The 33,652-square-foot theater will have 11 auditoriums with about 650 newly installed reclining leather seats and 4k digital projection, according to a statement from Alamo. As for food offerings, it will serve from a scratch-made menu and serve local beers on draft and craft cocktails.

The chain says in the statement that it expects the theater to open early next year after the conversion is complete.

This will be Alamo’s was first Florida movie theater. It has more than 39 locations across several other states.

According to Mercato, when it opens Alamo will offer “everything from blockbusters to indie films to global gems. Great cocktails and dine-in cinema with ultra-comfortable leather reclining seats.”

The question for patrons who’ve been going to Silverspot for years is how Alamo will hold up in comparison.

Silverspot, which hosted the Naples International Film Festival and was a key draw for customers to stay and shop at the Mercato when it opened in 2009, was an elevated movie concept with high-end dining, an enhanced interior design and concierge services. It was the kind of place that, as it once described itself in a press release, paired films with “chef crafted dishes, specialty cocktails and a carefully curated wine and beer list.”

Alamo says the word “drafthouse is in the name for a reason” and that part of its experience includes having drinks and chatting at a standalone bar after the movie.

Adam Schwegman, executive vice president at North American Properties, which manages Mercato, says in the statement that Alamo “prides itself on catering to the cinephile” while keeping the moving going experience “fun.”