The Hollywood Reporter has an article that takes a close look at the operations of the AMC Empire 25 in New York City, and it's well worth reading.

The article mentions that the theater opens much earlier than other theaters traditionally do, they do a ton more business than any other theater in the country, and they offer a wide variety of movies with a very flexible operation that allows them to handle varying crowds:

Most multiplexes in the U.S. don't open until noon and, if they did open earlier, would be hard-pressed to get any traffic. But early openings are all in a day's work for the Empire, which accommodates more than 2 million moviegoers annually. It's been the top-grossing theater in North America for years -- a surprising fact, even within the film business, given that it doesn't have bells and whistles like reserved seating or high-end dining. Not to mention that 42nd Street is best associated with the surrounding Broadway legit theaters (and, of course, the often seedy history of Times Square).

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Perched in the heart of Times Square, the Empire benefits from tourist foot traffic and accessibility to everyone who lives or works nearby. It's next door to the busiest subway complex in the city and across the street from the Port Authority bus terminal, ready to deliver people to and from nearby New Jersey.

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But location doesn't entirely explain the Empire's incredible draw. The success it enjoys is just as much about its breadth of product. Many multiplexes rely mostly on commercial product, but the Empire offers a healthy diet of specialty films on top of the usual tentpole and genre fare -- and not just after those specialty titles cross over from select engagements and start courting a wider audience.

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