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Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament is an American dinner theater featuring staged medieval-style games, sword-fighting, and jousting. Medieval Times Entertainment, the holding company, is headquartered in Irving, Texas."
There are ten locations: the nine in the United States are built as castles; the tenth, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is located inside the CNE Government Building.
On December 16, 1983, the Spanish investment group Manver (incorporated in the Netherlands Antilles) opened their first United States location in Kissimmee, Florida, about twenty minutes from Walt Disney World. In 1986, they opened their second establishment near Knott's Berry Farm in California. The franchise later expanded, opening locations in major cities in the Southern United States and elsewhere, including Atlanta, Georgia; Dallas, Texas; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Baltimore, Maryland; Schaumburg, Illinois; Lyndhurst, New Jersey; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Toronto, Ontario.
In April 1997, the Franchising in Florida and California sought bankruptcy protection after losing a court battle with the IRS that required the Buena Park location to pay and the Orlando location to pay in back taxes (equivalent to about $ and $M in ). According to the IRS, Medieval Times improperly deducted royalties, loan interest, and management fees in the 1987 and 1989 tax years. When asked why the company was filing for bankruptcy, Alan Friedman, the company's bankruptcy lawyer, told Los Angeles Times "One of the primary reasons for filing was to prevent the IRS from beginning to seize any assets."
The shows change about every six to seven years. A show that premiered in 2017 was notable for being for the first time that lead role was filled by a Queen, rather than a King. This change was due to feedback from guests who wanted to see women in more significant acting roles. The company also stated that it took two months to teach a Queen how to ride an Andalusian horse. The newest show premiered in late 2024, where a king and queen, each leading their own respective kingdoms, forge an alliance.
Since 2016, Jose's son, Perico Montaner, is the President and CEO of the private company, which is headquartered in Irving, Texas. As of October 2017, Medieval Times had served over 65 million guests across its entire history as a franchise.
During the theatrical release of The Cable Guy, employees from Medieval Times expressed mixed reactions to its appearance in the film. On the one hand, restaurant managers were delighted with the publicity the film brought out. On the other hand, a female employee expressed disappointment at the depiction of the serving wench in the film. Also, spokesperson David Manuel stressed that the theatre would never allow customers to fight in the pit, noting that each of the actors on stage needed extensive training - especially with horse riding and swordsmanship.
Medieval Times was also featured in the 2004 feature film Garden State, featuring Jim Parsons as a knight. It has been featured in episodes of TV shows such as Friends, Cake Boss,"Tournament of Knights and a Tasty Tiramisu" Cake Boss, TLC, June 14, 2010 Hell's Kitchen,"15 Chefs Compete". Hell's Kitchen episode 3. Season 9. July 25, 2011. Fox. The Celebrity Apprentice, Close Enough,"The Canine Guy" Close Enough, HBO Max, July 9, 2020. Warner Bros. Walker, Texas Ranger, and Saturday Night Live.
Potential film adaptation
In 2013, Deadline Hollywood reported that production companies Benderspink and Todd Garner secured the rights to produce a feature film adaptation of the Medieval Times dinner theater. This was announced just months before the company's 30th anniversary. Although the production companies attempted to shop the film to major film studios, a film adaptation has yet to be produced as of 2025.
2023 Medieval Times strike
On May 31, 2022, employees at Medieval Times in New Jersey filed for a union election with the NLRB, working with the American Guild of Variety Artists. In October 2022, the company sued the union over name and logo trademark violations; the suit was subsequently dismissed, though Medieval Times was able to pressure TikTok to shut the union's social media account on intellectual property grounds. In November 2022, employees at the Buena Park location also won a union election 27–18 to join the American Guild of Variety Artists, and initiated a strike soon after, in February 2023, over pay and safety concerns. After nine months on strike, in November, the union said it would end the strike and return to work while the negotiating team continues to fight for a "safe and equitable" work environment for cast, crew and animals.
In popular culture
The dinner theatre was featured in a pivotal scene in the 1996 film The Cable Guy, where the titular character (Jim Carrey) engages in an intense duel with a reluctant Steven (Matthew Broderick). The scene also features a humorous scene where a "serving wench" (Janeane Garofalo) tells her customers that there were no utensils during the medieval times before offering them a refill on their Pepsi beverage. It was filmed at the Buena Park, California location in January 1996 while the location was closed for nine days. Around the same time, the chain collaborated with select Sony movie theatres to send ticket-buyers for "The Cable Guy" discounts for the Medieval Times. As a result of the promotion, "The Cable Guy" boosted ticket sales for the Medieval Times restaurant, including a 30% increase in the Lyndhurst, New Jersey location.
Locations
As of 2025, the Medieval Times has opened ten locations: nine in the United States and one in Canada.
United States
Canada
See also
Notes
Bibliography
External links
Categories: Www.medievaltimes.com Official Website, 1983 Establishments In Florida, Buena Park, California, Companies Based In Irving, Texas, Companies That Filed For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy In 1997, Dinner Theatre, Lyndhurst, New Jersey, Medieval-themed Fairs, Restaurant Chains In The United States, Schaumburg, Illinois, Theatrical Jousting, Theme Restaurants, Tourist Attractions In Atlanta, Tourist Attractions In Baltimore, Tourist Attractions In Bergen County, New Jersey, Tourist Attractions In Cook County, Illinois, Tourist Attractions In Dallas, Tourist Attractions In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Tourist Attractions In Orange County, California, Tourist Attractions In Orlando, Florida, Tourist Attractions In Toronto, Kissimmee, Florida
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