AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Tuesday, Alamo Drafthouse confirmed to KXAN that it laid off employees at the corporate and venue level. This comes after the company was acquired by Sony Pictures Entertainment in June 2024. Sony at the time said it would continue to operate all 35 of its cinemas across 25 locations. Alamo Drafthouse said 15 people were laid off at the corporate level, including support center and technical staff. It claimed that was part of a business restructuring initiative. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Changes coming? Alamo Drafthouse acquired by Sony According to the company, layoffs at venues were to deal with seasonal fluctuations and were focused primarily on part-time staff. Alamo Drafthouse said this decision ensured the remaining staff would be able to work full-time schedules. Alamo Drafthouse said those laid off will be eligible for rehire when the industry picks up steam again. The company said these decisions were made by Alamo Drafthouse and not by Sony. According to the company, the layoffs were not a reflection of the health of the business. 'Honestly, pretty hurt' A handful of former and current Alamo Drafthouse employees held signs and picketed near the South Lamar location on Tuesday following the layoffs. Kyler Ferrill said he got the call in the morning. Alamo Drafthouse confirmed it had layoffs at both the corporate and individual venue level. (Photo: KXAN)Alamo Drafthouse confirmed it had layoffs at both the corporate and individual venue level. (Photo: KXAN)Alamo Drafthouse confirmed it had layoffs at both the corporate and individual venue level. (Photo: KXAN) "I got the call from the GM. He told me he didn't have good news, and said that I was being laid off due to the shortage in hours that they could give people," Ferrill said. "Honestly, pretty hurt, you know, I really put in a lot for Alamo." Ferrill said he previously worked at the Lakeline location for five years. "There was at one point where I had been the person who trained almost every front-of-house staff member, whether that was a person who was a runner or a person who was a server," Ferrill said. He said he took some time off for school and recently joined the Mueller location a few months ago. Ferrill said he was told that was part of the reason he was let go. "Because I was off for a certain amount of time," Ferrill said. "That on paper, it shows me as only being with the company for these past few months." Alamo Drafthouse server, A.C. Hanstedt, said while he wasn't laid off, his heart hurts for his coworkers who were. "It ranged from people who had been here with us for 10 years to people that started like six months ago. It was all over the map."A.C. Hanstedt, Alamo Drafthouse Server Hanstedt said this also adds pressure on current employees, and he's worried about how it could impact customers as well. "We're trying to do the best job -- be good servers, give everybody a great movie experience," Hanstedt said. "We can't do that if we are overworked."