Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Digitizes Operations and Reclaims Thousands of Hours with Crunchtime

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has grown from a single-screen theater into a 40+ location premium dine-in brand known for combining film, food, and hospitality. As the business expanded, managing inventory, labor, and complex menus across diverse locations became increasingly difficult. By implementing Crunchtime, Alamo Drafthouse digitized its inventory and labor operations, replacing manual spreadsheets with real-time visibility into costs, scheduling, and performance. The transformation streamlined day-to-day operations, reduced administrative work, and gave managers more time to focus on delivering an exceptional guest experience.

Gong cha Uses Crunchtime Ops Execution to Improve Task Completion, Guest Return Visits, and Brand Standards

Gong cha increased brand standards compliance and improved above-store oversight across its 400+ stores in North America with Ops Execution. The increased visibility and access to real-time data empowers leadership to make more informed decisions and will help scale its store and field operations teams as it adds 300+ U.S. locations in the next two years.

1M+ USD

saved annually with Crunchtime

35

spreadsheets replaced with centralized reporting

80%

reduction in inventory count time

CHALLENGE

Administrative Inefficiencies Across a Complex Ecosystem

Operating premium dine-in theaters is extremely complex, as every location balances multiple auditoriums, chef-driven menus, varying service models, and fluctuating guest demand while maintaining a consistent experience across the brand. As Alamo Drafthouse expanded nationally, these operational demands made inventory management, labor planning, and performance reporting increasingly difficult to manage through manual processes.

The operations team relied on dozens of spreadsheets to track inventory, labor, and cost data across locations. Managers spent valuable time on back-office administrative work instead of supporting theater operations, while the lack of real-time visibility made it difficult to identify labor inefficiencies, understand inventory waste, and make proactive business decisions. As Dennis Ogaard, Senior Manager of Operations Services, explained, “Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is by far the most complex organization I’ve ever worked for, with locations ranging wildly in size and structure,” making it especially difficult to understand the labor each unique theater required.

Alamo Drafthouse replaced disconnected spreadsheets with Crunchtime solutions for inventory, labor, and operational reporting, improving visibility across every theater. The implementation digitized 112 unique menus, established theoretical food costs, and standardized inventory management across its diverse locations. Mobile inventory counts and invoice reconciliation also enabled managers to complete key tasks directly from the floor.

Labor management became far more precise, helping Alamo Drafthouse better align staffing with the unique demands of each theater. Dennis shared, “At Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, our labor model is highly complex and varies significantly by location. With Crunchtime, we accurately staff our kitchens and forecast prep needs based on changing movie schedules.” Because labor needs shift based on movie schedules, theater size, and guest volume, the company implemented demand-based scheduling and labor templates tailored to each location. In high-capacity theaters, hundreds of food orders can hit the kitchen within a 30-minute window. To handle the volume, Dennis noted, “With Crunchtime Labor’s templates, we stay prepared and execute with confidence.”

Crunchtime Insights gave managers and corporate leaders greater visibility into labor performance, food costs, waste, and operational trends through real-time reporting, enabling Alamo Drafthouse to make faster, more informed decisions across its growing operation.

Key components of the implementation included:

Digitizing 112 menus to establish theoretical food costs across every location
Replacing 35 manual spreadsheets with centralized, real-time operational reporting
Implementing demand-based labor scheduling tailored to each theater’s guest volume
Enabling mobile inventory counts and invoice reconciliation directly from the floor
Providing real-time visibility into food costs, labor, waste, and operational performance

Partner Brand Guidelines

These guidelines are your go-to resource for representing the Crunchtime brand accurately across your website and marketing channels. By consistently applying our core brand elements—including our logo, solution lock-ups, and color palette—you help maintain a unified, strong brand presence that builds trust with our mutual customers.

As a partner, you have access to ready-made visual assets designed to help you showcase Crunchtime Kitchen and Crunchtime Host. Please share this guide with your marketing team, product managers, graphic designers, and any other stakeholders to ensure all communications align with our branding policies.

SOLUTION

Real-time visibility and standardized operations for more compliance and efficiency in stores

Gong cha adopted Ops Execution to standardize operations and improve communication between stores, above-store teams, and headquarters. Rolling out the platform in phases, the team ensured smooth implementation and strong adoption. Gong cha’s success with Ops Execution stemmed from:

Store excellence guides: Gong cha created a comprehensive guide within Ops Execution to help managers prepare for third-party evaluations with visual aids and practice assessments.

Checklists and audits: Tasks like opening/closing procedures and food safety checks were standardized across all locations to ensure consistency and make it easier to track performance data from store to store.

National operations initiative calendar: To ensure execution against seasonal promotions, regional or market-specific projects, etc., Gong cha assigned tasks and projects in Ops Execution ahead of these initiatives so that stores could have visibility into upcoming work while also tracking how stores completed (or didn’t complete) the work.

Franchisee engagement: Franchisee and team engagement were also integral to success. Ops Execution forms helped align franchisees with performance goals, integrating compliance metrics into bonus structures to incentivize adoption. Additionally, interactive tools like the “Gong cha Great Values” form encouraged daily team member engagement and reinforced company values.

“With Ops Execution, Gong cha can easily track performance metrics, gather data from individual stores, and identify specific opportunities for improvement with more accuracy.”

Rebecca Kahn
Sr. Director of North America
Master Franchise Operations

Why this report is different

Industry Insights
Unlike broad state-of-the-industry overviews, these findings offer fresh, unfiltered data and perspectives directly from 300+ of your industry peers, anonymously surveyed to reveal what's really working (and what isn't) to drive growth in today's restaurant landscape.

Actionable Benchmarks
Instantly see how your operations stack up and identify precise areas for improvement to drive competitive advantage.

Collective Learning
Gain clarity on key trends, validate your own assumptions, and learn from the collective wisdom of the industry.

202508-Crunchtime-25ResearchReport-LP-tablet_@2x-1

RESULTS

Significant improvements in operational consistency, compliance, and decision-making

Within just the first year of rolling out Ops Execution, Gong cha improved operational performance in several key areas:

• 49% more daily tasks completed, demonstrating consistent execution of operational priorities and enhanced team accountability

• 20% better compliance with brand standards, ensuring a more uniform and high-quality experience across all locations

• 25% increase in guest return rates, reflecting stronger customer loyalty and consistent positive experiences across locations

• 20% increase in guest satisfaction, measured by Net Promoter Score (NPS), highlighting the impact of operational excellence on customer experiences

The data-driven insights provided by Ops Execution also empowered district managers to address operational weaknesses effectively. One franchisee—initially among the lowest performers—transformed into a top-three operator within only 90 days by following a customized action plan based on the insights from Ops Execution reports. This success illustrates the platform’s ability to drive meaningful and lasting improvements.

“Crunchtime Ops Execution was the right choice for us because it’s very easy to use, makes sense, and helps us standardize operations as we scale,” said Kahn. Gong cha’s commitment to operational excellence and brand integrity ensures that it will remain a leader in the competitive premium tea market.

RESULTS

Significant improvements in operational consistency, compliance, and decision-making

Within just the first year of rolling out Ops Execution, Gong cha improved operational performance in several key areas

49%

more daily tasks completed

demonstrating consistent execution of operational priorities and enhanced team accountability

20%

better compliance with brand standards

ensuring a more uniform and high-quality experience across all locations

25%

increase in guest return rates

reflecting stronger customer loyalty and consistent positive experiences across locations

20%

increase in guest satisfaction

measured by Net Promoter Score (NPS), highlighting the impact of operational excellence on customer experiences

RESULTS

Driving Operational Efficiency, Waste Reduction, and Workforce Reinvestment

Crunchtime gave Alamo Drafthouse the visibility needed to turn operational data into measurable business results. By replacing 35 manual spreadsheets with Crunchtime, the company improved labor planning across its highly variable theater operations and identified thousands of hours of labor optimization opportunities each month. Demand-based scheduling and greater visibility into staffing needs helped Alamo Drafthouse operate more efficiently, contributing to millions of dollars in annual savings through Crunchtime Inventory and Labor.

Inventory operations also became faster and more data-driven. By digitizing 112 unique menus and establishing theoretical food costs across locations, Alamo Drafthouse gained greater control over inventory and cost management. Managers reduced inventory count time by 80%, reclaiming valuable hours for theater operations. As Dennis explained, “What used to take three or four managers 10 hours now can be completed by two managers in two hours with Crunchtime Inventory,” helping teams streamline processes while maintaining greater visibility into costs.

The company also gained deeper insight into the drivers of food waste, allowing teams to make more targeted decisions that impact the bottom line. “Crunchtime Inventory enabled us to see that our top 10 products contribute to 60% of our waste,” said Dennis. “By focusing on those, we can make a significant impact on our cost of goods.”

Rather than directing every labor-savings dollar to the bottom line, Alamo Drafthouse reinvested a portion of it in its workforce. As Dennis noted, “We’re realizing significant labor efficiencies each month with Crunchtime, and not all of that goes straight to the bottom line because we reinvest in our people.” That investment has supported substantial wage increases and expanded benefits, including access to insurance for part-time team members.

With Crunchtime, Alamo Drafthouse has built the operational foundation to scale its uniquely complex business while continuing to deliver the premium dine-in theater experience that defines the brand.

"We’re realizing significant labor efficiencies each month with Crunchtime, and not all of that goes straight to the bottom line because we reinvest in our people.”

Dennis Ogaard
Senior Manager of Operations Services
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

alamo drafthouse theater