In the latest innovation to get people off their davenports and back in movie theaters, the new Gold Class Cinema in Pasadena’s Old Town is taking the concept of “dinner and a movie” literally.
The luxury multiplex, scheduled to open Dec. 4, will offer customers a combined dining-cinema experience without the need to leave their seats.
Moviegoers to the six theaters at the former Laemmle cinema in a courtyard off Colorado Boulevard will be greeted by a concierge and escorted to a lounge where they can enjoy a drink and order dinner. A few minutes later, they can enter the theater and take their seats in comfy chairs, where dinner will be served during the movie by black-clad “ninjas” – so as not to distract from the movie.
Rob Goldberg, chief operating officer at Gold Class Cinemas, said the chain wants to give moviegoers an environment comparable to a Hollywood director’s private screening room, with service they would get at a boutique hotel.
“Our theaters are built on a hospitality model,” he said.
Gold Class is the latest in a wave of formats with which film exhibitors have been experimenting. And with good reason: A 2006 study by research firm Guideline Inc. found that even for a movie they want to see, 49 percent of the public preferred to wait for the DVD rather than go to a theater. Less than one-quarter of those responding still usually went to the movies.
Technology offers one way to differentiate the moviegoing experience. In recent years, theater owners have installed Dolby sound systems, Imax large-screen technology and 3-D projectors – each meeting with varying degrees of success.
Another strategy focuses on content. Some theaters feature sports events, operas, concerts or even theatrical plays on their screens. The next step is audience members playing computer games – with some gamers’ activity projected onto a 30-foot screen.
Some emphasize architecture. Muvico Theatres, based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., builds megaplexes that resemble 1920s movie palaces; the company has opened a location in Thousand Oaks.
Another tactic: The AMC chain announced last week it will sell reserved seating – an amenity commonly available at a few premium theaters, including the ArcLight in Hollywood and Sherman Oaks, and the Landmark Theatre at the Westside Pavilion – at a suburban Kansas City, Mo., megaplex. If the tactic fills seats, the company may roll it out nationwide.
And most all movie houses that open now are higher end. In Los Angeles last week, Regal Cinemas at L.A. Live staged its grand opening with the debut of the Michael Jackson movie “This Is It.” Sold-out audiences packed 14 theaters. That multiplex features reclining seats and 3-D digital projection.
Upscale viewing
In addition, some exhibitors like Gold Class Cinemas, a division of Melbourne, Australia-based Village Roadshow Ltd., are emphasizing food and/or drink.
Patrick Corcoran, director of media and research at the National Association of Theater Owners in North Hollywood, estimates about 400 theaters across the country now have restaurant or bar service on site, but few offer dining service in the theater. Some also offer valet parking and child care to lure customers.
Large chains are experimenting with formats that compete somewhat with that of Gold Class. For example, L.A.-based Pacific Theatres Corp. has the two local ArcLight cinemas that have restaurants in the lobby. AMC Entertainment Inc., based in Kansas City, Mo., has Fork and Screen theaters in Kansas City, Atlanta and Chicago that provide a meal during the movie, although they don’t serve the gourmet fare offered by Gold Class.
Regional companies, such as Movie Tavern Partners LP in Dallas, offer pubs in the cinemas, and Hollywood Blvd. Theaters in Chicago do dinner service.
The question is whether these concepts will play to the mass markets.
Marty Shindler, chief executive of the Shindler Perspective, a film distribution consulting company in Encino, said the challenge for Gold Class and its competitors is “getting people to pay a premium price for the movie ticket and the food. It’s a great concept. I just don’t know how big the market is.”
The vast majority of moviegoers are in their teens or 20s, Shindler noted.
In contrast, Goldberg said the core demographic for Gold Class is the 35- to 50-year-old crowd. As a result, he said the theater in Pasadena will show mostly romantic comedies, Oscar contenders and art films – not the popcorn movies that attract teens.
The price of the Gold Class experience reflects its audience. Movies tickets cost $22 per person, while dinner averages $25 per person. That means a night at the movies for a couple can approach $100.
Because of the cost, Shindler wonders if the Gold Class Cinema will become like Disneyland – a once-a-year destination, not a once-a-week habit. “People might go once or twice, but I wonder how many will go regularly on a repeat basis,” he said.
‘Communal experience’
Goldberg said that deluxe seating and dining targeting an older demographic has proved successful in other locations, including Australia, Europe, and in the United States in Chicago and Seattle. Also, he plans to go after corporate events, office parties and group activities in addition to regular moviegoers.
“With television, DVDs, Netflix and digital downloads, they have always predicted the death of movie theaters, but we’re still here,” Goldberg said. “In our lounge, people can have a drink after the show and debate the ending of the movie. Going to the movies is a communal experience, an American tradition.”
Each theater has only 40 seats, arranged in pairs with a small table between them. The rows are spaced eight feet apart, for unobstructed screen visibility.
The movie-time menu is designed for comfort – finger-food style; there’s no clanking tableware. Entrees include Kobe beef cubes on skewers, duck tacos, lobster spring rolls, steak sandwiches and crab cakes.
The seats are overstuffed recliners with a tray table and call button. The food is served by what the theater calls “black ninjas” – they dress in dark clothing and perform their duties so as not to cause distraction. In addition to food, the servers can provide potent potables, pillows and blankets.
“A lot of people just love the fun of pushing the button,” Goldberg said. “It’s a lot like flying first class on an international flight.”
The L.A.-area market offers a special plum for the company. Because Village Roadshow is actively involved in movie production and financing, Goldberg expects a lot of show biz industry people will book his Pasadena theater for screenings.
“It’s built for the movie lover and there are more movie lovers in Los Angeles than anywhere else,” he said.
