The Marcus Corporation history

In 1942 Marcus was finally forced to acknowledge that he could not grow his business single-handedly and hired Joe Strother away from his archrival, the Fox movie house circuit (then the largest chain in the midwest) to act as his film buyer and booker.

Marcus was named president of the Wisconsin Association of Theatre Owners in 1948, and a year later he built the first of 14 outdoor movie theaters bearing the Marcus name--just in time to capitalize on the new postwar enthusiasm for the automobile.

1949 Marcus Theatres opens its first drive-in movie theatre.

He recruited Rosemary Steinfest, a Marcus employee since 1956, to serve as the hotel's director of sales (a rarity in the male-dominated world of the United States hotel industry) and brought his son Steve, a lawyer and real estate developer, aboard to manage the restoration.

The first Marc's Big Boy opened on Milwaukee's northwest side in October 1958 and soon became a solid success, spawning six new Big Boys in the Milwaukee area over the next four years.

The company expanded into the lodging business in 1962 with the purchase of The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee.

The Guest House Inn was the result, and by 1963 Marcus had opened a second Guest House Inn 40 miles to the east in Manitowoc.

Included in the renovations was a 23-story guest room tower, which opened to the public in 1966.

In 1967 Harlan Sanders's Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) empire had come under the supervision of John Y. Brown, who decided to grow the chain by requiring that individual franchisees move the product off their menus and into dedicated KFC restaurants.

The 1972 public stock offering gave Marcus the wherewithal to fuel a major expansion, which by the end of the decade saw the number of Marcus theaters and restaurants more than double to 83 and 109, respectively.

1974 First Budgetel Inn opens in Oshkosh, Wis.; concept developed by Steve Marcus.

Three years after Steve Marcus was named president and COO in 1980, Marcus began another ambitious expansion program, opening a new multiple-screen state-of-the-technology movie complex in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha.

By 1989 fierce competition from new limited service hotel chains like Red Roof Inns, Days Inn, Comfort Inns, and La Quinta Inns was forcing Marcus to step away from the no-frills concept that had initially defined Budgetel's niche.

In 1991, Ben Marcus officially retired after 56 years at the helm, and Steve Marcus was named chairman of the board.

1992 Greg Marcus joins the company.

1993 Marcus Theatres expands outside of Wisconsin; enters Chicago market with new theatre in Gurnee, Ill.

In 1994 Marcus's lodging operations (now separated into the motel division and the hotel/resort division) encompassed 96 Budgetel Inns in 25 states, four Woodfield Suites, and the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa.

Theater-goers could now buy mineral water, frozen yogurt, and pizza at many Marcus theaters, and in 1995 the company announced plans to install giant 3-D "ride immersion simulators" at one or two of its theaters in a joint program with Imax.

In August 1996, it reached an agreement with Levtex Hotel Ventures to develop 42 franchise Budgetels in Texas and in 1996-97 pursued new motels in Arizona and the Pacific Northwest.

By 1997 new multiple screens had been installed or announced in northern Illinois; Columbus, Ohio; and throughout Marcus's Wisconsin home territory.

Marc Plaza obtains a Hilton franchise and is renamed Hilton Milwaukee City Center, in anticipation of the new Midwest Express Convention Center (now the Wisconsin Center) – which debuted in 1998.

1999 Marcus Theatres unveils its first UltraScreen® premium large-format screen.

2000 Hilton Milwaukee City Center reveals further remodels and renovations, featuring a new meeting room and ballroom, while increasing the number of guest rooms by 250 with a 12-floor addition.

2001 Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark – a condominium/hotel - opens on the grounds of Grand Geneva, adding 50,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor waterpark to the range of vacation experiences available on property.

2002 Marcus Hotels & Resorts creates the ChopHouse brand – a steakhouse specializing in steak and seafood.

2004 Marcus further diversifies its entertainment options and creates the WELL Spa brand – initially opening in its California hotel location.

2005 Expanding its portfolio in downtown Milwaukee, Marcus Hotels & Resorts purchases the Wyndham Hotel, increasing the count to 3 Milwaukee locations.

2006 Company returns $215 million to shareholders from the sale of the limited-service lodging division as a $7 per share special dividend.

2007 Marcus Theatres installs its first Digital 3D system.

2008 Marcus Theatres acquires seven locations with 83 screens in Nebraska.

2009 Greg Marcus elected CEO; Steve Marcus continues as chairman.

2010 The Marcus Corporation celebrates its 75th anniversary with associate volunteer campaign, black-tie gala and $75,000 donations to the United Way, United Performing Arts Fund and Variety, the Children’s Charity.

2011 Marcus Theatres deploys digital cinema, branded MDX® (Marcus Digital Xperience®), at virtually all screens.

2012 Marcus Hotels becomes majority owner and manager of the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln, Neb.; now The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel.

2013 Marcus Theatres launches successful $5 Tuesday promotion – the start of its focus on special promotions to drive attendance.

In addition to financial contributions, in 2015, the company and our associates donated more than 28,000 hours of volunteer time and over $3.4 million in in-kind contributions to aid job creation, education, health, community development and social needs, and more.

2016 Completely renovated Country Club Hills Cinema opens in Illinois; 6th location in greater Chicago.

2017 Marcus Theatres opens first BistroPlex℠ “restaurant that serves movies” in Greendale, Wis.

2018 Marcus Hotels & Resorts assumes management of The Murieta Inn and Spa in Rancho Murieta, Calif.