| Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament | |
| Type: | Private |
| Area Served: | United States and Canada |
| Industry: | Entertainment |
| Services: | Dinner theater |
| Founded: | in Kissimmee, Florida, US |
| Location City: | Irving, Texas |
| Location Country: | U.S. |
| Locations: | 10 |
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.[1]
There are ten locations: the nine in the United States are built as replica 11th century castles;[2] the tenth, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is located inside the CNE Government Building.[3]
The first two Medieval Times-styled shows were developed in the late 1960s by Jose Montaner in Spain at Mallorca and Benidorm. Montaner converted the barbecue restaurant on the family farm to entertainment and food venue. Actors portrayed 11th-century jousting of knights of the northern Spanish and southern French kingdoms of Aragon, Navarre, and the village of Perelada, using stories derived from Montaner's family history. Montaner claims to be a descendant of Charlemagne.[4] [5] Accounts indicated that Tino Brana, who was involved in the jousting scenes from the 1961 film El Cid, was involved in staging the jousts.[5]
In 1983, the Spanish investment group Manver (incorporated in the Netherlands Antilles) opened their first United States location in Orlando, Florida, near Disney World, and one of the biggest cities in the South, having over 1.4 million residents in 2021, according to the United States Census Bureau. In 1986, they opened their second establishment near Knott's Berry Farm in California.[5] 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.[6]
In April 1997, the franchises 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 the company's bankruptcy lawyer, Alan Friedman, said, "One of the primary reasons for filing was to prevent the IRS from beginning to seize any assets."[7]
The shows change about every six years.[8] A new show premiered in late 2017; and, for the first time in the 34-year history of the franchise, the 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.[9]
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.[10] In October 2022, the company sued the union over name and logo trademark violations; the suit was subsequently dismissed; MT was, however, able to pressure TikTok to shut the union's social media account on intellectual property grounds.[11] In November 2022, employees at the Buena Park location also won a union election 27-18 to join the American Guild of Variety Artists,[12] and initiated a strike soon after, in February 2023, over pay and safety concerns.[13] 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.[14]
Jose's son, Perico Montaner, is now the President and CEO of the private company, which is headquartered in Irving, Texas.[15]
As of October 19, 2017, Medieval Times had served over 65 million guests across its entire history as a franchise.
The chain was featured in the 1996 film The Cable Guy,[16] and the 2004 feature film Garden State. It has been featured in episodes of TV shows such as Friends,[17] Cake Boss,[18] Hell's Kitchen,[19] The Celebrity Apprentice,[20] Close Enough,[21] and Saturday Night Live.[22]