CLEVELAND — It’s showtime at the Cleveland Cinemas. Guests will be welcomed back to their neighborhood theater beginning June 19 as part of a three-phase opening.
The reopening dates are as follows:
June 19—Apollo Theatre, 19 E. College Street in Oberlin
June 19—Tower City Cinemas, 230 West Huron Road
June 24—The Capitol Theatre, 1390 West 65th Street
June 24— Chagrin Cinemas, 8200 East Washington Street
July 1— Historic Cedar Lee Theater, 2163 Lee Road
“We wanted to re-open our theaters in phases so that we can ensure that the programs that we have developed in theory will work in practicality,” says Sean Denny, Cleveland Cinemas Director of Operations. “These phased openings will also help us gauge audience interest and allow us to make certain that all of our staffing needs are met.”
At first, the programming will focus on iconic movies for every age group.
“Our theaters have always offered an eclectic variety of films, from classics to independent films to Hollywood blockbusters,” said Dave Huffman, Cleveland Cinemas Director of Marketing in a news release. “We know our audiences love to see all of these films on the big screen rather than just watch at home. With tickets priced at just $5 for adults and $3 for seniors and children, it will be a fun and inexpensive way for a family to enjoy an afternoon or evening out of the house.”
Each location will implement the following procedures:
- Patrons will be encouraged to wear face coverings while in the building common areas such as the lobby and restrooms.
- Social distancing markers in lobby to ensure proper space between patrons in lines.
- Touchless purchase options at the box office and concession stand.
- Patrons will be encouraged to purchase tickets online at clevelandcinemas.com [clevelandcinemas.com] or fandango.com [fandango.com] in advance to reduce points of contact.
- Auditorium seating capacity will be reduced to 50% and seats and rows will be closed to ensure social distancing during the films.
- Showtimes will be spaced further apart to reduce crowds in lobby as well as allow for more time for cleaning and disinfecting the auditoriums between shows.
- Customer entrance and exit traffic flow will be directed to minimize crowds.
- Hand sanitizer stations will be available throughout the building.
- Staff members will have health assessments taken before clocking in for shifts.
- Staff members will be required to wear face coverings while working.
- Staff members will be required to wear gloves as well as frequently wash their hands.
- There will be a dedicated sanitation staff person for each shift to ensure that frequent touch points and surfaces are disinfected.
- Plexiglass dividers have been installed at registers.
