New Fayetteville Cinema Creates Market Shrinkage

The new, 12-screen Malco Razorback Cinema in Fayetteville didn’t even have to open to have an effect on local theaters according to the most recent public records.

Fayetteville tax receipts for concessions sold at the 16-screen Fiesta Square, Razorback 6 and the Malco Mall Twin Cinema reflected a 57 percent decline for August in the month before the new theater was scheduled to open.

The Razorback Cinema didn’t open until Oct. 12, but it certainly appears local patrons curbed their movie trips in anticipation of the long-awaited, state-of-the-art theater’s debut.

Fiesta Square went from $105,935 in concession sales for July to $45,933 in August. The Razorback 6 declined from $18,304 to $7,914 and the Mall Twin from $6,709 to $1,632.