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Mall cinemas get new owners, face-lift
By MAUREEN BYRNE
© St. Petersburg Times, SEMINOLE -- Mindy Sakayan is quite content with the movie theater at Seminole Mall. She says she prefers the smaller venue over the megaplexes that have burst onto the movie scenewith plush stadium seats, food courts and high-tech sound systems. "None of that appeals to me," said Mrs. Sakayan, 61, who lives on Clearwater Beach. "All I want to do is see a reasonably priced movie." So when Mrs. Sakayan found out last week that the 13-year-old AMC Seminole 8 was changing hands next month, she wondered what that meant. Besides a face-lift, not much, said John Duffy, vice president of franchise marketing and development for Restaurant Entertainment Group. The company will take over the theater's lease when AMC Entertainment Inc. pulls out. Restaurant Entertainment will continue to show first-run movies there. Duffy said the theater's patrons will see new carpet, a fresh coat of paint and a new sign, but they won't see an increase in ticket prices. The Atlanta-based company, which breathes new life into abandoned older and smaller six- to eight-screen multiplex theaters, has signed a 10-year lease with the mall's owners. The company will begin renovating the theater soon after Monday, when AMC's lease expires. The theater will close for up to 10 days while workers renovate the 30,000-square-foot building, Duffy said. "It's a spruce-up job," he said. But theater-goers may see more changes in the fall. The Atlanta company may decide to sell more than popcorn and sodas at its concession stand. The owners are considering adding a Cinema Grill Cafe to the theater. The cafe, which the company is testing at theaters in Washington, D.C., and Dallas, sells pizza, submarine sandwiches, ultimate nachos and wine and beer. Tiny tabletops are installed between the theater seats. Stacy Olson, a sophomore at Seminole High School, said she's glad the movie theater isn't closing. "This is like one of the only places (in Seminole) to hang out with your friends," said Stacy, who is 15. She and her 16-year-old brother, Mike Olson, went to the theater Thursday to see Lara Croft Tomb Raider. Mike said he has never been to Muvico BayWalk 20, the megaplex in downtown St. Petersburg that has a 100-foot-long concession stand. Like Mrs. Sakayan, Mike said he isn't interested in any extra frills. "I just want to see a movie," he said. Larry Lang, executive vice president of Lamar Inc., which owns the mall, said he is relieved the theater will continue to operate. "I think it adds to the texture of a community to have a smaller theater," he said. "I think the community is happy and we're certainly happy." The Duffy brothers got their start in the theater business in 1981, when they opened a company in Orlando. Cinema Grills provided an alternative to the traditional movie experience, offering dinner and a movie in an auditorium-style venue. Today, the company operates 27 Cinema Grills in 15 states. Last year, the Duffys began revitalizing abandoned movie theaters and reopening them as Entertainment Film Works theaters. So far, the company has opened 18 such theaters, John Duffy said. "That is the kind of market we are looking for," said James Duffy, chief executive officer for Restaurant Entertainment Group. "The window of opportunity is out there. I think sometimes the movie industry isn't in touch with consumers. Not everyone is sold on the megaplex concept." Mary Shaw, 61, is one of those consumers. The Redington Beach resident says the Seminole theater fits the bill. "This is so nice because it's so close to us and we don't have to go all the way to Tyrone," she said. "This is really a homey place." - Staff writer Maureen Byrne can be reached at 893-8410.
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