U.S. Loses 20% of Movie Theaters and Nearly 30% of Bowling Alleys Since 2001

3 articles · Updated · Fortune · Aug 2

Bureau of Labor Statistics data show the U.S. has lost a fifth of its movie theaters and nearly a third of its bowling alleys since 2001, part of a broader decline in bars, diners and other gathering places.
A 2025 study found all 12 tracked categories of “third places” shrank from 2019 to 2021, with the steepest losses in rural areas and communities with larger Black, Hispanic and less-educated populations.
Costs are squeezing both operators and customers: restaurant food costs are up 38% and labor 35% since 2019, menu prices have risen 31% since 2020, and bar insurance premiums have jumped 25% to 40% in some regions.
Researchers say the closures reflect pressures that predate COVID—including the Great Recession, online retail and chain consolidation—while gentrification and higher prices make surviving venues less accessible.
The social fallout is significant: the Surgeon General’s 2023 advisory linked social disconnection to up to a 29% higher risk of premature death, while one estimate puts the economic cost of loneliness at $406 billion a year.