- published: 16 Jul 2014
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Carmike Cinemas Inc. is a motion picture exhibitor headquartered in Columbus, Georgia in the United States of America. As of December 31, 2010 it operates or has an interest in 239 theaters with 2,236 screens in 35 states, making it the fourth largest theatre company in the United States.
Carmike was founded when Carl L. Patrick, Sr. acquired Martin Theatres from Fuqua Industries in 1982. The theater name comes from a combination of Carl L. Patrick, Sr.'s two sons, Carl Jr. and Michael, hence Carmike.
Carmike theaters are largely positioned in rural or suburban areas with populations under 200,000. The company bills itself as "America's Hometown Theatre".
The Company's theatres are operated under various names and will generally have a name followed by the number of auditoriums at that location, for example "Carmike 15". Names currently in use include Carmike, Wynnsong, GKC, Cine, Cinema, Movies, Stadium, and other local variants such as "Fleming Island 12" in Fleming Island, FL.
Carmike sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2000 after failing to make $9 million in interest payments. The company had about $650 million in debt. Since declaring bankruptcy, many theaters (mostly smaller single, twin, and triple theatres) in dead markets were closed down, and some were renovated or relocated in areas with desirable market potential. Most of these newer theaters are 10 screens or larger. The number of theaters owned or operated by the company dropped from 448 to just over 300.