Studio Movie Grill (“SMG”) has announced the hiring of former AMC executive and experienced industry veteran, Tonya Mangels, as Head of Revenue & Marketing. Tonya will work closely with SMG’s executive team to define, implement and manage SMG’s revenue and marketing strategies. She will lead development and strategy of loyalty and subscription programs, technology integration roadmap, brand and innovation efforts, digital marketing as well as the reopening and multi-year strategic plan.Tonya will also work with SMG’s invaluable stakeholders to enhance the guest journey at every touchpoint. She will report to Founder/CEO, Brian Schultz.

Since joining in February, the team already successfully fast-tracked the launch of SMG curbside takeout & delivery (via GRUBHUB) in select locations and unveiled new Food & Drink mobile ordering through the Studio Movie Grill app. These efforts not only saved jobs during the coronavirus crisis and funds supported SMG team members affected by theater closures, but also allowed SMG to stay connected with consumers, serve communities and drive incremental revenue. New SMG Access loyalty membership benefits and technology innovations including app/kiosk contactless ticketing and menu ordering options, illustrate some of the ways SMG anticipates differentiating the brand, optimizing ramp-up and delivering exceptional clean, safe service choices upon the phased reopening of theaters starting later this month.

Tonya comes to SMG with a wealth of experience from AMC Entertainment where she served for over 10 years, most recently as VP Product Marketing & Executive Officer overseeing brand strategy, studio marketing, loyalty data analytics partnerships, mobile app/kiosk ordering, digital streaming launch and food & beverage marketing. Additionally, Tonya led merger & acquisition integrations, product development and strategic initiatives. Over the course of her career at AMC, Mangels was instrumental in building the Dine-In concept portfolio, consistently setting food & beverage revenue records with menu & marketing innovations, the circuit-wide digital signage transformation, launching mobile ordering and leading the 3-brand strategy. She held positions at AMC including VP Marketing – Brand Strategy and Food & Beverage; VP F&B Marketing; and Marketing Director – F&B and Dine-In Brand Marketing. Earlier in her career, she served in marketing leadership positions with YUM Brands Pizza Hut, Kansas City Royals and Barkley Advertising.

“With Tonya’s invaluable breadth of expertise in so many areas of the business and a proven track record of driving industry-leading growth, I can think of no one better qualified to partner with to vision and lead our successful revenue strategy. We believe her joining our team will strengthen our brand’s re-emergence, future growth and our ongoing technology and innovation efforts,” expressed SMG Founder/CEO, Brian Schultz. “Her positive energy, adaptability and work ethic are a fantastic fit with our entrepreneurial culture.”

“I am grateful for the opportunity to join the committed leadership team at Studio Movie Grill and extremely honored to be a part of the brand’s invigoration and continued growth,” said Mangels. “As a conscious business committed to making a difference, I am moved by SMG’s mission to make the world a better place by opening hearts and minds, one story at a time. Now more than ever, purpose matters. Brian’s inspiring commitment to value all stakeholders and the holistic person is incredibly refreshing. SMG has a creative, ambitious culture and I look forward to continuing collaboration with the team to define and build the next chapter of the best-in-class SMG experience.”

Studio Movie Grill has been hard at work developing a stepped strategic vision for reopening theatres, exclusively termed ‘Survive, Revive and Thrive.’ The health and safety of guests, team members and community has been the top priority in planning a phased reopening including feedback from over 15K stakeholder surveys. “We are excited to welcome guests back to enjoying movies on the big screen with the reopening of SMG Theaters starting June 19th” Schultz shared. “Aligning with our vision, we will be donating 10% of all ticket and food & beverage proceeds throughout opening weekend (June 19-21) to support SMG team members at locations nationwide still furloughed due to COVID-19.” The first phase of theater reopenings includes SMG Colony and Tyler in North Texas and City Centre in Houston; with more locations being announced and added weekly.

About Studio Movie Grill
Conceived in 1993, Studio Movie Grill (“SMG”) modernized the traditional movie-going experience by combining first-run movies with full-service, in-theater dining. SMG has swiftly grown to 353 screens in 10 states. SMG was named to Inc. Magazine’s List of “Fastest Growing Private Companies” three years in a row, placed 11th in Box Office Magazine’s Giants of the Industry and, in 2019, 50 films put SMG in the top 10 at the Box Office with key titles grossing as high as #5 in box office receipts. Honoring its commitment to Opening Hearts and Minds, One Story at a Time, SMG’s legacy programs include Special Needs Screenings, Chefs for Children program and annual Opening Hearts & Minds Award, which strive to help families and acknowledge local heroes. In June 2018, SMG created a unique loyalty program, SMG AccessTM which, as loyal guests earn rewards, allows them to join SMG in offering movies and meals to underserved community members. To date, this program has earned over 44,000 movies and meals. For additional information, visit https://www.studiomoviegrill.com/