SAN ANTONIO — If you've been to a movie theater in San Antonio, odds are, you've been inside one owned by Santikos. But, the entertainment company has expanded tremendously.
And they've made it their mission to give back to the Alamo City.
"It's so much more than movies; there's bowling, there's laser tag, there's food, there's bars, there's live music, there’s so much going on," said Rene Villanueva of Santikos.
The company has been around for more than 111 years. But, many don’t know that several of the profits made go back to assist people in the 210.
"After John Santikos passed away, he left the company to the area foundation. So, all the profits that Santikos generates goes right back to the community," said Villanueva.
John Santikos wanted health, youth, education, arts and culture organizations to prosper. But, they also have fun with businesses, like one local brewery.
"Freetail Brewery -- we partnered with to create the legacy logger. It's a specialty brew that you can get it all the Santikos area locations, and their profits and ours go back to the community," said Villanueva.
But, they’re really pushing to highlight food, particularly at their Cibolo location! Like their loaded nachos.
They also made us a Philly cheesesteak.
"It is a thinly sliced ribeye steak seasoned well to perfection. We sautéed the vegetables first and then we put our meat on there, mix it all together, throw some delicious cheese on there and let it melt," said Santikos Cibolo Catering Manager Barrett Arnold.
As for the iconic popcorn, well, they pop about 50 batches per day at the Cibolo location, at minimum.
Santikos has and always will carry a lot of meaning for San Antonians and employees like Villanueva.
"Me and my wife -- one of our first dates was to the Silverado Theater," said Villanueva. "It's a big part of the community. It's a big part of my life and I think it's really fun."
For more information about Santikos and a list of their locations, click here.