History of Santikos Theatres
Louis Santikos, a Greek entrepreneur, was one of the pioneers in the San Antonio motion picture industry. After immigrating to Texas, Mr. Louis Santikos built the first opulent movie theatre in San Antonio, the Palace Theatre. This endeavor was only the beginning at the Santikos Company, which included film distribution and continued to introduce many more grand theatres throughout the decades that followed.
Louis’ son John always shared his father’s passion for motion pictures and after graduating from St. Mary’s University, he entered the movie business. His first involvement in the motion picture industry was with the Olmos theatre in San Antonio, a successful single screen movie house. John continued to bring new cinema experiences to San Antonio when he acquired thirteen Drive-In theatre locations, including the historic Mission Drive-In.
Over the next 2 decades, John Santikos added to his entrepreneurial resume with many more theatres across the city featuring the latest ideas in the industry including the first multi-screen indoor theatres, art theatres, THX and digital sound technology, 3D presentation etc.
In 1987, the operational division of the theatres was sold to Act III Theatres. However, in May 2001, John Santikos returned to his beloved business by obtaining the theatre chain he had sold. He quickly reinvigorated the company with his passion for films and business savvy.
John Santikos again brought movie innovations to San Antonio. He introduced in-theatre dining at the city’s only art house, The Bijou at Crossroads and transformed the Galaxy, into the Rialto Cinema Bar and Grill. Today, the theatre circuit also includes the Northwest, the completely renovated Embassy and four brand new multiplexes: the Palladium IMAX, the Mayan Palace, the Silverado 16 in San Antonio, and the Silverado IMAX in Houston. With highly anticipated future entertainment venues to come, Santikos remains a prominent name as the only major independently owned and operated theatre circuit in Texas.
