KYLE, Texas -- The wait is over as 'EVO', Kyle's first movie theater and entertainment center, opens its doors this weekend.
The name EVO is short for "evolution," said principal investor Mitchell Roberts, because that's what he believes the 70,000-square-foot facility represents in Central Texas entertainment.
The business, located in the Kyle Crossing complex along with Home Depot, features a 14-lane bowling alley, a 3,000-square-foot arcade floor and an 11-screen movie theater with the latest in audio and visual technology. There is also a full restaurant and bar.
Roberts said he's proud of what they've accomplished.
"We don't' want to be the cutting edge, we want to be in front of it," said Roberts.
The theater is the first in the area, according to Roberts, to feature Dolby Atmos sound.
"It's the best experience you can get in a way you've never experienced it," he said. "In terms of cinema, everything is top of the line."
The facility is a $22 million investment and is expected to bring about 170 jobs.
The results of a survey of Hays CISD high school students published earlier this month showed a movie theater was one of the top five businesses they'd like to see come to Kyle, and Roberts says many of the staff they're employing are local students.
The Friday opening comes as Kyle once again tops Hays County sales tax revenue rankings, receiving more than a half a million dollars in November.
Kyle City Manager James Earp said residents have eagerly anticipated the business' opening, and the city expects it will have a big financial impact.
"It will be a huge contributor to our local economy," said Earp. "Those dollars have been leaving the city of Kyle for years and now they'll be captured here."
