MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Marcus Theatres®, a division of The Marcus Corporation (NYSE:MCS), today announced its plan to reopen theatres. It begins on June 19, with six theatres, including Marcus Ridge, Renaissance, BistroPlex℠ and Valley Grand Cinemas in Wisconsin; Majestic Cinema of Omaha in Nebraska; and the Roswell Movie Tavern in Georgia. These initial locations feature enhanced protocols in accordance with current local health and safety guidelines, and will help fine-tune future phases of theatre reopenings which are coming in the weeks ahead, and in time for summer blockbusters based on when studios release new films.
“We continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of Marcus Theatres and Movie Tavern by Marcus guests and associates, and have been very thoughtful about the reopening process we are implementing,” said Rolando Rodriguez, chairman, president and CEO of Marcus Theatres. “We know people are eager to return to theatres for movies on the big screen provided they feel confident that we’ve created a safe and comfortable environment – and that consumer confidence is very important to us. The steps are in place, associates are trained, and we are now ready and excited to welcome guests back.”
As part of the initial reopening experience, Marcus Theatres is introducing its “Movie STAR” approach, which incorporates new health and safety measures and is in alignment with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. Everyone can be a Movie STAR and play a role in creating a safe environment with social distancing (S); Thorough cleaning (T); App and website ordering of tickets, food and concessions for no-to-low contact interactions (A); and respecting each other by following these new protocols (R). Policies and guidelines will continue to evolve with time and will be assessed and updated on an ongoing basis. For the most up-to-date information visit www.MarcusTheatres.com/ReOpening.
For Everyone’s Safety
Upon reopening, additional measures include:
- Company will conduct associate wellness checks and implement the use of face masks, as well as the use of gloves as appropriate during the associate’s shift
- Guests will be encouraged to wear face masks in public areas and stay home if sick
- Low-contact options for ticket and concessions/food purchases will be available through the app and website
- There will be an increased frequency of cleaning, especially high-touch surfaces
- Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the theatre
- In-theatre signs will encourage proper social distancing
Hours, Product & Price
- At first, theatres will be open four days per week – Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Tuesdays* – with an expectation to ultimately return to seven days per week
- Initially, hours of operation will be limited, opening late morning and closing early evening
- The app or website will provide available showtimes
- Movies that were popular when theatres closed will be featured for reopening including: “Sonic the Hedgehog;” “Bad Boys for Life;” “Jumanji: The Next Level;” “The Invisible Man;” and more
- Also showing will be retro classic movies. A “Harry Potter Series” will start June 19
- Upon reopening every movie will cost $5 (no upcharges)
- When new movies are released, standard pricing will apply
Concessions/Food/Beverages
- Low-contact food ordering will be highly encouraged through the Marcus Theatres app and website
- Concession stands will be open, serving the traditional menu – popcorn, soda, candy, nachos, etc.
- In-theatre dining auditoriums initially will not have delivery to seats upon reopening
- Food orders will be picked up in a designated area
- Menus will stick to favorites such as appetizers, pizzas, chicken tenders and burgers to start
- Theatre bars/lounges will be open, but table service will be temporarily unavailable. Drinks will be welcome in auditoriums
- Zaffiro’s restaurants will open with proper spacing between tables, a maximum of six guests per party and other safety enhancements in alignment with theatre practices and local government guidelines
Auditorium Arrangements
- Guests will still reserve seats. A checkerboard seating pattern and a couple of empty seats between groups allows for proper social distancing in accordance with the CDC
- Although capacity will be limited, groups can be seated together upon arrival at the theatre and in accordance with state regulations, provided accommodations are available
- Staggered showtimes will limit the number of people in common areas of the theatre, and extra time between shows will allow the time for thorough cleanings
- Following the movie, guests will be asked to exit while practicing social distancing between groups, dispose of all trash and avoid congregating in the lobby
“While our theatres have been on intermission these past few months, we’ve been creative about how to maintain the connection with our guests,” added Rodriguez. “Offering curbside pickup and online ordering of theatre favorites like popcorn and treats, and introducing three Parking Lot Cinemas helped do just that. We were also hard at work enhancing our app and website to make it easy to order food – even before you get to the theatre. And, now it’s time to reconnect with the community at the movies. The process may look a little different to start, but it doesn’t take away from the excitement of bringing back the theatre-going experience and seeing our valued guests. We can’t wait!”
For more details on the reopening process and the complete list of theatres open and preparing to reopen, visit www.MarcusTheatres.com/ReOpening.
About Marcus Theatres
Marcus Theatres®, a division of The Marcus Corporation, is the fourth largest theatre circuit in the United States and currently owns or operates 1,110 screens at 91 locations in 17 states under the Marcus Theatres, Movie Tavern® by Marcus and BistroPlex℠ brands. For more information, please visit www.MarcusTheatres.com and follow the company on Facebook and Twitter (@Marcus_Theatres).
About The Marcus Corporation
Headquartered in Milwaukee, The Marcus Corporation is a leader in the lodging and entertainment industries, with significant company-owned real estate assets. In addition to its Marcus Theatres division, its lodging division, Marcus® Hotels & Resorts, owns and/or manages 19 hotels, resorts and other properties in eight states. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.marcuscorp.com.
*Magical Movie Rewards Members will receive free popcorn on Tuesdays
Certain matters discussed in this press release are “forward-looking statements” intended to qualify for the safe harbors from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may generally be identified as such because the context of such statements include words such as we “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect” or words of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe our future plans, objectives or goals are also forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties which may cause results to differ materially from those expected, including, but not limited to, the following: (1) the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our theatre and hotels and resorts businesses, results of operations, liquidity, cash flows, financial condition, access to credit markets and ability to service our existing and future indebtedness; (2) the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and related shelter at home and social distancing requirements and the level of customer demand following the relaxation of such requirements; (3) the availability, in terms of both quantity and audience appeal, of motion pictures for our theatre division (particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, during which the production of new movie content has essentially ceased), as well as other industry dynamics such as the maintenance of a suitable window between the date such motion pictures are released in theatres and the date they are released to other distribution channels; (4) the effects of adverse economic conditions in our markets, including but not limited to, those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; (5) the effects on our occupancy and room rates caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects on our occupancy and room rates of the relative industry supply of available rooms at comparable lodging facilities in our markets once hotels and resorts are able to reopen; (6) the effects of competitive conditions in our markets; (7) our ability to achieve expected benefits and performance from our strategic initiatives and acquisitions; (8) the effects of increasing depreciation expenses, reduced operating profits during major property renovations, impairment losses, and preopening and start-up costs due to the capital intensive nature of our business; (9) the effects of weather conditions, particularly during the winter in the Midwest and in our other markets; (10) our ability to identify properties to acquire, develop and/or manage and the continuing availability of funds for such development; (11) the adverse impact on business and consumer spending on travel, leisure and entertainment resulting from terrorist attacks in the United States, other incidents of violence in public venues such as hotels and movie theatres or epidemics (such as the COVID-19 pandemic); (12) a disruption in our business and reputational and economic risks associated with civil securities claims brought by shareholders; (13) our ability to timely and successfully integrate the Movie Tavern operations into our own circuit; and (14) our ability to achieve the additional revenues and operating income that we anticipate from our additional week of operations in fiscal 2020 and certain extraordinary events that are scheduled to take place in or near Milwaukee during fiscal 2020, such as the Democratic National Convention and The Ryder Cup, which may be significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our forward-looking statements are based upon our assumptions, which are based upon currently available information, including assumptions about our ability to manage difficulties associated with or related to the COVID-19 pandemic; the assumption that our theatre closures, hotel closures and restaurant closures are not expected to be permanent or to re-occur; the continued availability of our workforce following the temporary layoffs we have implemented as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and the temporary and long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business. Shareholders, potential investors and other readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made herein are made only as of the date of this press release and we undertake no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
