R.I.P. Fry’s Electronics

[slipperybidness]

Sad really. Covid really has taken its toll on businesses that were already struggling. It really did expose how many were on the brink.

Even some businesses that were thriving! Alamo Drafthouse is a real shame! Hopefully they will be able to restructure and hang around.

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, cites effects of coronavirus pandemic

The Alamo Drafthouse Ritz in downtown Austin, and locations in New Braunfels and Kansas City, Missouri, will be permanently closed.

www.statesman.com

 

[panteragstk]

Even some businesses that were thriving! Alamo Drafthouse is a real shame! Hopefully they will be able to restructure and hang around.

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, cites effects of coronavirus pandemic

The Alamo Drafthouse Ritz in downtown Austin, and locations in New Braunfels and Kansas City, Missouri, will be permanently closed.

www.statesman.com

Yeah, they would choose the one in Austin and New Braunfels to close. I had read they already sold their assets.

Sucks that some things won't come back. AMC was very close to that happening to them as well.

 

[GotAudio]

R.I.P. Fry’s... I remember a long time ago when I was into Home Audio, they would put these Infinity Primus ( I think that’s what they were ) tower speakers on sale for $1xx/per speaker and everyone would rave about them. Never bought them because I had my Home Theater in a Box and was too cheap to upgrade.

 

[slipperybidness]

Yeah, they would choose the one in Austin and New Braunfels to close. I had read they already sold their assets.

Sucks that some things won't come back. AMC was very close to that happening to them as well.

Austin has several, I don't think all the Austin locations are closing. Note that the Alamo Drafthouse got its start in Austin in the 1990s.

They are closing the "flagship" location at the Ritz on 6th. That place was a theater a long time ago, then it was a great dive bar for many years, then Alamo bought it and converted back to a theater.

The original location was down around 4th street, IIRC. When they bought the Ritz, they closed that location and moved it to Ritz.

 

[panteragstk]

Austin has several, I don't think all the Austin locations are closing. Note that the Alamo Drafthouse got its start in Austin in the 1990s.

They are closing the "flagship" location at the Ritz on 6th. That place was a theater a long time ago, then it was a great dive bar for many years, then Alamo bought it and converted back to a theater.

The original location was down around 4th street, IIRC. When they bought the Ritz, they closed that location and moved it to Ritz.

Ah. Didn't realize there were multiple locations in Austin. I never went to the one here simply because I don't really go to the theater anymore, but after COVID, I wanted to take my kids again since they like it. Wanted to see some older stuff at Alamo, but I guess I'll have to drive to go to one now.

 

[Montucky]

REALLY sucks about the Drafthouse. Was always my theater of choice. However, it was a bummer that they CHOSE to stay closed most of last year. Whereas the Santikos chain boldly pushed to stay open for all but a few weeks at the beginning. I'm sure that there were more underlying issues for Drafthouse (ie staffing, expenses), but still. Judging by their PR statements, it seemed it was a choice they made because they were scared of COVID. Santikos wasn't so I had no choice but to support the ONE chain that remained open. You know what was super fun? I rented out an entire room in January. You can do private screenings for as cheap as $75. We watched Back to the Future. THAT'S what Drafthouse and others should have been doing this whole time. Make money on concessions, people are "safer," great compromise. That's my $0.02.

 

[bikdav]

I live a few miles from their headquarters. They have unfortunately been dead in the water for some time. They stopped paying vendors so they had nothing on shelves to actually sell. Not sure if they will come back as an online only entity, but I don't think so. It was a Bay Area institution. We'd go there for no reason just to see what deals were going on every Friday at lunch.

We knew this was coming because the news was already reporting that there were plans for the location where the HQ is long before this announcement.

I saw the empty store shelve situation on the news. What a sad scene. Fry’s never came to Boston, Ma. So, I’ve never actually seen their stores. What will happen if BestBuy crashes the same way?