Alamo Drafthouse took the "devastating step" of moving employees from furloughs to layoffs, a company spokesperson said in a statement shared with Austonia.

"As we've looked at the road ahead, it's becomes increasingly clear that many positions at Alamo Drafthouse would need to be eliminated, changed, or refocused. This is a devastating step to take. It would be impossible to quantify what these Alamo Drafthouse team members have collectively contributed, and we hope that once things have stabilized, we'll be able to bring many of them back," the statement reads.

While the Austin-based movie theater chain declined to confirm the number of jobs impacted, both Austin Chronicle and IndieWire reported more than 80 positions were eliminated.

There are seven Alamo locations in the Austin area.

Former employees from around the country took to social media to share the news.

The Drafthouse closed most of its 41 locations on March 16 because of the pandemic.

Founder Tim League stepped down as CEO on April 30; his replacement is former Disney and Starbucks executive Shelli Taylor.

League, who remains executive chairman, announced June 24 that select locations would reopen in July, but no date was set. Since then, Austin's COVID-19 crisis has worsened, a trend that is mirrored in cities and states across the country.