EDIE ZUVANICH Special to the Press
HUTTO — Megaentertainment venue Hooky opened its doors to the public with a ribbon cutting Friday and high expectations for a big Memorial Day weekend turnout.
“It’s going to be busy. We’ve got the theaters ready to go, the bowling, our arcades and honestly the amazing food. People are already getting really excited,” said General Manager Jimmy McQuade.
The entertainment site is at 150 Alliance Blvd., Suite 100.
The venue had a special soft opening May 21, giving community members and dignitaries a preview of what President and CEO Charlie Tiantawach said is the company’s mission: putting the guest experience first.
Tiantawach said he envisions Hooky as a place where people can put down their smartphones and instead connect with each other over shared experiences.
“We really want to be as much of a community center, a town center, a gathering place for the community as possible,” he said. “Whatever you’d like to do in terms of getting out of the heat, going on a date, just having fun, we want to be that place for the community. That’s really important for me.”
Hooky has the only IMAX theater in the area as well as offering other surround-sound theater experiences, virtual darts, a bowling center, arcade games for all ages and chefinspired meals and beverages, according to the company.
John Melvin and his wife, Lucy, brought their daughters, Lilia and Margaux, from South Austin to experience the soft opening Wednesday evening.
“It’s amazing. It’s a lot bigger than what we imagined and there’s a lot more to do,” John Melvin said.
Steve and Marie Bridgeman from Hutto also attended the soft opening, promising to return with family.
“It’s a lot, trying to take it all in. My kids will love it. It’s super welcoming and super friendly,” Marie Bridgeman said.
VIPS also showed up to get a first look, including Williamson County Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles, Hutto Mayor Mike Snyder, Taylor Mayor Dwayne Ariola and others.
“I think this is one of the biggest events since I’ve been on City Council because it brings more of the ‘play’ aspect into the city. We focus on ‘live, work and play.’ We have a lot of homes, a lot of opportunities for people to live, a lot of people moving here but they also want things to do,” said Hutto Mayor Pro Tem Peter Gordon.
Gordon said his children and grandchildren live in Hutto but typically have to go to other cities for fun activities.
“Now I think we’re going to be keeping a lot more of our Hutto citizens in town,” he said.
Hooky is open 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. weekly. Movie tickets and seats can be reserved at HookyEntertainment. com.
Although the name of the venue originally raised some eyebrows at City Hall, Hooky representatives said the moniker is a playful take on getting away from the daily grind for a few hours of harmless fun.
Tiantawach, who heads parent company Es Vedra Cinemas, said the group rebranded 11 of its 18 existing theaters as Hooky this year, and five more next year.
Those properties are currently branded as ShowBiz cinemas.
Es Vedra was formerly the business partner of the Elevate Entertainment Group, the parent company of EVO Entertainment, but the partnership was dissolved. EVO kept some of the theater properties, but Es Vedra took over Hutto’s development.
Es Vedra team members months ago told the Hutto Development Corp. that the 54,400-square-foot facility would feature an eight-screen cinema with IMAX, 12 fullsize bowling lanes, an expansive gaming space, and enhanced food, beverage and cocktail menus.
