For five years, Michelle and Jeremy Kuntze have been building an excited pool of actors and patrons at Fort Myers Theatre on San Carlos Boulevard. Now, they’re opening a second location.
“We're opening a brand new theater in Lee County called the Fort Myers Dinner Theater,” announced Michelle Kuntze. “We are so excited to have another opportunity for artists to perform, for students to perform, and to provide the community with another venue to be entertained and to have quality performances.”
The dinner theater’s inaugural performance is scheduled for late July. It’s “James and the Giant Peach,” which was also the show that launched Fort Myers Theatre in 2021. But patrons can get a sneak peek of the new space on June 13.
“We are having a gala that is Great Gatsby-themed in order to let our patrons come and preview our space,” Michelle Kuntze added. “It will be an elegant night with performances from our students, our college students, and community theater actors. And it's going to let everyone see our space, get dressed up, have dinner, and really enjoy experiencing our new space for the first time.”
Located off Crystal Drive and U.S. 41 in Fort Myers, the new location is centrally located, easy to get to and has plenty of parking. Watch this space for further developments.
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More about Fort Myers Theatre
Fort Myers Theatre is located on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers. Although the Kuntzes signed their lease for the space in 2019, their opening was delayed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But in 2021, they launched their new theater in earnest, bringing to the stage such classics as “Bye Bye Birdie” in May, “Anne Frank” in July, and Dickens' “A Christmas Carol” and “Steel Magnolias” in December. Subsequent productions have included “The Great Gatsby,” “Grease,” “A Chorus Line,” “Rent,” Richard O’Brien’s “Rocky Horror Show,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Addams Family Musical,” “Annie,” “Gypsy” and “The Music Man.”
The existing theater is cozy. It seats only 100 patrons. But the configuration, in which the seating rises several rows from the ground-level stage floor, lends itself to an immersive theatergoing experience.
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More about the dinner theater market
The modest stage and limited seating have not thwarted the Kuntzes in producing sprawling musicals with large casts and ornate sets. But it has presented challenges in terms of staging and storage. The lobby is standing room only. There’s limited room to maneuver cast and props backstage. Dressing rooms and makeup stations are impossibly tiny. And they outgrew the facility’s storage capacity almost immediately.
The Kuntzes' announcement comes at an interesting time as several sources report the decline of dinner theaters across the nation.
Two-time Tony Award-winning theatre producer, blogger, and writer Ken Davenport, best known for his production work on Broadway, recently wrote, “Ring the bells, for the dinner theater is no more. Ok, I’m being slightly dramatic. There are a few dinner theaters still around serving up so-so steaks, and the National Dinner Theatre Association is still up and running (even though it only has 20 members), but the golden era of eating Chicken Marsala while seeing a performance of ‘Hello Dolly’ seems to have come to an untimely end. Unfortunately for us, the dinner theater seems to have gone the way of the Drive-In, which in theory seems to be a cool way to consume a movie, but in practicality just doesn’t seem to fit with a consumer’s lifestyle.”
But to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of dinner theater’s death are greatly exaggerated.
Or so says a new industry report [the 2026 U.S. Industry Statistics & Market Forecast for Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters published April 2026, which projects that the global dinner theater market will grow from $3.1 billion in 2024 to $5.4 billion by 2033. According to the report, the dinner theater industry is witnessing a renaissance as consumers increasingly seek immersive, personalized and shareable experiences and outings over traditional dining or theater alone.
“This market's robust growth is propelled by evolving consumer preferences, the rise of themed entertainment, and the diversification of offerings that cater to a wide array of demographic segments,” the report states. “As the dinner theater market expands, it is also being shaped by digital transformation, innovative booking platforms, and a renewed focus on high-quality service and production value.
What’s driving the market
It is true that the dinner theater market is undergoing a significant transformation. Driven by the convergence of entertainment and culinary innovation, all-you-can-eat buffets are being replaced by gastronomic innovation and food and beverage offerings themed to the evening’s performance – baked ham, roasted turkey and novelty salads in cocktail glasses for “The Great Gatsby,” calamari and other seafood delicacies for “Little Mermaid” or shepherd’s or pot pies for “Sweeney Todd.”
Dinner theater food and beverage menus are being reinvented to reflect both local and global culinary trends and health-conscious menus. This synergy between gastronomy and live performance is setting a new standard for experiential leisure, attracting both repeat patrons and first-time visitors. Dinner theaters are increasingly focusing on menu innovation, sourcing local and sustainable ingredients. Premiumization strategies, such as wine pairings, chef-led tasting menus, and VIP packages, are driving higher average ticket values and enhancing the overall guest experience.
Family-oriented productions and child-friendly menus are also broadening the audience base, making dinner theater a popular choice for birthday, anniversary and other group celebrations.
State-of-the-art venues are also integrating advanced lighting, sound, and staging technologies to elevate the overall guest experience. Themed productions, ranging from musicals and comedies to immersive murder mysteries, are increasingly curated to appeal to niche audiences, who relish walking the red carpet upon arrival, enjoy photo ops and selfies in decorated lobbies prior to the performance and post-performance talkbacks and meet-and-greets with added opportunities for photos and selfies with cast and crew. These efforts convert front-of-house staff from mere ticket takers and ushers into actors who set the tone and enhance the energy that the cast brings to the stage once the curtain rises.
The report also notes that one trend fueling market growth is the increasing adoption of dinner theater experiences within the tourism, corporate, and family entertainment sectors. Tour operators and destination management companies are incorporating dinner theaters into their packages, recognizing the value-added appeal for both domestic and international travelers. Likewise, corporations are leveraging dinner theater venues for team-building events, product launches, and client entertainment, driving demand for private bookings and customized experiences.
By transforming stage plays and musicals into interactive and immersive themed happenings, dinner theaters are rebranding themselves from theater venues to cultural hubs, thereby drawing in audiences who might not otherwise engage with commercial productions as large, thousand-seat venues. The integration of community theater shows into more intimate dinner theater locations that feature diverse, avant-garde programming is attracting a wider audience, including those interested in supporting local arts and culture.
Strategic capital investments — particularly in digital ticketing, marketing, and customer relationship management — are enabling operators to reach wider audiences and optimize operational efficiency, mitigating some of the challenges posed by fluctuating input costs and labor shortages.
Combining genres
In the past, dinner theaters occupied distinctive niches. There were those that specialized in musicals, while others primarily featured comedy, cabaret, murder mysteries and even historical shows.
According to the industry report, musical dinner theaters currently dominate the segment, contributing nearly 35% of total revenue in 2024. These venues attract broad audiences with popular productions, often featuring local or touring talent, and are especially popular in regions with a strong musical heritage. Innovation in this segment includes the incorporation of interactive elements, celebrity guest performances, and cross-genre collaborations that keep offerings fresh and appealing.
However, the Kuntzes plan to also incorporate comedies into their programming to take advantage of the resurgence in comedies among younger demographics and corporate clients seeking light-hearted social entertainment.
The Kuntzes said there will also be a place for murder mysteries, especially interactive storylines and multi-sensory effects that involve a participatory aspect in which patrons either become part of the production or receive awards for helping solve the onstage crime.
Innovation plays a significant role in each of these genres, driven by the integration of technology, such as augmented reality and interactive apps, which enhance audience engagement and enable personalized experiences.
Less dependence on older audiences
The audiences at traditional dinner theaters is often dominated by retirees. While adults remain the primary audience for all dinner theaters, there has been a shift post-pandemic to younger audiences, driven by demand for date nights, social outings, and special events. Family-oriented productions are expanding rapidly, with operators introducing child-friendly menus, matinee performances, and interactive shows to attract parents and children. The corporate segment is also growing, as businesses increasingly seek unique venues for meetings, team building, and client entertainment.
The Kuntzes are mindful of yet another trend. New audience data from the Broadway League found that nearly 20% of Broadway theater tickets in the 2024-25 season were bought by solo attendees, double the rate seen only a few years ago. With more Americans living alone than ever before, the party-of-one trend is also being observed across the travel and dining sectors. According to Google Trends data, search volumes for “restaurant for one” reached the highest level in January since 2004.
Other search terms related to solo activities also spiked at the beginning of this year, including “vacation for one,” though most queries seem to drop off in the summer months and during the festive period. Forbes just reported that the U.S. solo travel market, valued at $95 billion in 2024, is expected to reach over $190 billion by 2030.
Along with sit-down meals, eating fast food alone has also surged: a recent report from Yum! Brands, owner of Taco Bell and KFC, found that solo dining orders have risen 52% since 2021, now accounting for nearly half of all quick-service restaurant visits.
The Great White Way is already capitalizing on the surge, with ATG Entertainment last month launching “solo seats” events designed especially for single-party theatergoers. The Kuntzes are evaluating doing the same at their new dinner theater.
Tourists represent a significant growth opportunity, particularly in destination cities and regions with strong cultural or historical appeal. Operators are partnering with travel agencies, hotels, and convention centers to create bundled packages and exclusive experiences. The Others category includes school groups, seniors, and special interest clubs, each with distinct preferences and booking patterns. Competitive intensity in the audience segment is shaped by the ability to tailor offerings, manage group bookings, and deliver consistent quality across diverse customer segments.
Visit https://marketintelo.com/report/dinner-theater-market#collapse_937736 to read the entire report.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
