United States · entertainment

🎬Opening a Cinema / movie theatre in San Francisco: a location research guide

San Francisco — A compact tech-driven city where neighbourhood character changes dramatically across short distances. If you're thinking about opening a cinema / movie theatre here, the difference between the right block and the wrong block is often a 30% revenue swing in the first year. This guide walks through what to look at on the map before you sign a lease.

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Browse cinema / movie theatre in San Francisco

Live OpenStreetMap data — every cinema / movie theatre currently mapped in San Francisco, plotted by neighbourhood.

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The data below + a free interactive map showing competitor density, foot-traffic proxies and key catchment factors.

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What to look at on the map

For a cinema / movie theatre, the location factors that matter most are different from a generic retail store. When you scan San Francisco on the interactive map, focus on these:

  • 🤝Complementary businesses

    Mall location with food court synergy = standard.

  • 🅿️Parking nearby

    Big lots required — evenings + weekends peak.

Where to look in San Francisco

San Francisco has several commercial districts where cinema / movie theatre businesses tend to cluster — useful both as starting points and as references for what "busy" looks like:

  • Mission
  • SoMa
  • Hayes Valley
  • Marina
  • Castro
  • Richmond

16 cinema / movie theatres mapped in San Francisco

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  • Opera Plaza CinemaUnclaimed
    601 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco·site
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  • AMC Loews Metreon 16Unclaimed
    135 4th Street San Francisco·site
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  • AMC Dine-In Kabuki 8Unclaimed
    1881 Post Street San Francisco·site
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  • Balboa TheatreUnclaimed
    3630 Balboa Street·site
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  • RoxieUnclaimed
    3125 16th Street San Francisco·site
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  • 4 Star TheaterUnclaimed
    2200 Clement Street San Francisco·site
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  • Marina TheatreUnclaimed
    37.8004, -122.4385
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  • Presidio TheaterUnclaimed
    Chestnut Street San Francisco
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  • 7D ExperienceUnclaimed
    Pier 39 The Embarcadero·site
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  • Apple Cinemas Van NessUnclaimed
    1000 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco·site
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  • Regal Stonestown GalleriaUnclaimed
    3251 20th Avenue
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  • CinéArts at the EmpireUnclaimed
    85 West Portal Avenue·site
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  • Vogue TheatreUnclaimed
    3290 Sacramento Street·site
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  • Phyllis Wattis TheaterUnclaimed
    37.7861, -122.4005·site
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  • Castro TheatreUnclaimed
    429 Castro Street San Francisco·site
    Claim
+ 1 more — see them all on the interactive map

Investment outlook

Before you commit, here's the real-world cost picture for a cinema / movie theatre:

Tens of millions+. Independent cinema model is hard.

Open the interactive map

Ready to scan San Francisco block by block? Open the interactive map below — every hexagon is clickable for a per-block research breakdown.

Explore San Francisco for cinema / movie theatre →

Related guides for San Francisco

Cinema / movie theatre guides for other cities

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