The Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) released a statement on January 26th strongly condemning the Alamo Drafthouse’s plan to implement a mobile-based ordering system during film screenings. The Austin-based movie theater chain, famous for its strict “Don’t Talk. Don’t Text.” rules, announced earlier in January that it would be doing away with paper ordering and waitstaff in exchange for a mobile ordering system.
AFCA says that removing the paper option and call buttons for ordering, forcing people to use cell phones during screenings, is the antithesis of what makes Drafthouse as special as it is. The organization takes pride in DraftHouse’s mission statement of a disturbance-free environment, claiming it is no small part of why the chain has become a national cinematic institution. They fear that requiring patrons to place orders from their cellphones will break the phone-free environment.
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As well as increasing the level of distraction inside their theaters, AFCA expects that the new process will increase the potential for piracy, while forcing staff to decide on a case-by-case basis whether a patron is using their phone for the “right” or “wrong” reasons, opening the system to abuse and placing an unfair level of burden on staff.
The change comes after Alamo Drafthouse workers began to unionize at various locations beginning in 2023, and strikes were successfully initiated in 2025 in New York City to reinstate laid-off staff. Alamo Drafthouse was also purchased by Sony in 2024, breaking decades of industry standard wherein film distributors did not own movie theaters.
AFCA, in its statement, expresses solidarity with Drafthouse theater staff, whom it calls “the backbone of the Alamo experience,” and urges that replacing human interaction with automation threatens their livelihoods. The organization also raises concerns about the impact of mobile ordering on customers who do not have or wish not to have cell phones, the ability to make online payments, and customers with disabilities who may require more assistance from a staff member.
Read the Austin Film Critics Association’s full statement here.
