For decades, people have always found simple comfort in leisure activities like going to see a movie, visiting the arcade, or dining at restaurants. Most often, people find themselves torn between which activities to choose.
Fortunately for people here in North Phoenix, the newly established Harkins BackLot at Norterra pulls everybody’s favorite recreational activities under the same roof to accommodate everybody’s vastly different preferred forms of entertainment.
“It’s not exactly what I thought. I was expecting it to be more of just an arcade, but it had a lot of different activities,” said Angela Lunde, junior. “And rather than just an arcade, it [is] also a bowling alley, dart games, and a whole restaurant.”
The Harkins BackLot, which officially opened July 2nd, 2025, uniquely blends a traditional movie theatre and an “eatertainment” style experience. These accommodations make the establishment considerably more appealing than places like Dave & Buster’s or Round1, particularly because of the significant age demographic it covers.
“I think there’s a lot in there that’s good for entertainment of all ages,” said Emily Gonzales, senior. “Like, I’ve seen kids as young as five years old to people who are fifty years old, so I feel like a lot of people enjoy it and it’s a good place that Harkins put into Norterra.”
Inspired by the Hollywood Backlots in California, Harkins’ BackLot serves as an extension of Harkins Theatres Norterra 14 and carries the brand’s signature cinema atmosphere into a multi-faceted world of sports, games, and, most importantly, food.
“ The food was really, really good. They had some unique items on their menu too, like different kinds of milkshakes and everything,” Lunde said.
Overall, the Harkins BackLot offers many great commodities for people of all ages and tastes, with prices that will not burn a hole in the customers’ pockets and instead leave them filled with pleasure and satisfaction.
“I think it was a blast, just because of all of the entertainment they had,” said Reagan Pool, junior.
