Cinebarre, a new movie theater that bars children under three, serves restaurant quality food and drinks, and requires kids under 18 to be accompanied by a parent, is opening this summer at the Arboretum shopping center.
The theater aims to provide a high quality, grown-up movie watching experience, said CEO Terrell Braly. "It's kind of like a rock-and-roll movie theater," said Braly. "It's really for grown-up people and nice families...We don't want to be the drop-off spot for teenagers to just hang out and be disruptive."
"We take away the things that would annoy you, i.e. the crying babies and unattended tweens," said Braly. "We feel like a few basic things like that are the reason there was a decline in movie attendance."
Cinebarre is a joint venture with Regal Entertainment Group, which formerly operated the movie theater at the Arboretum. This will be the company's first location in Charlotte, and sixth overall. There are also Cinebarres in Asheville, Charleston, Denver, Salem (Oregon), and Seattle.
Prices for tickets will be the same as at regular movie theaters, and the shows will be first-run films with a smattering of popular indie films. Food and drinks, said Braly, will be priced competitively with normal restaurants - no $7 sodas. And, Braly said, the popcorn comes with real butter.
Once in the theater, patrons have a table in front of them, and a server takes orders. The menu includes items such as burgers, pizza, salads, and beer and wine. "Eighty-three percent of all movie-goers go to a meal an hour before," said Braly. "We've combined the experience."
Although Cinebarre usually doesn't allow children under three ("It's not because we don't like them," said Braly, "We just don't like them screaming in the movie theater."), there are "Cry Baby" showtimes every first Tuesday of a film's release, allowing parents to bring their kids.
Braly, who started Cinebarre with Regal in 2007 after founding and then selling a similar chain of movie theaters in Texas, said the company will be quickening its pace of expansion. Cinebarre is hoping to grow into new markets that are two or three hours from its existing markets (as in Charlotte to Asheville), and is currently looking for its next location north of Charlotte.
Braly hopes to have Charlotte's Cinebarre open by the end of July, maybe in time for the new Batman movie's July 20 release. There will hopefully be a movie star at the opening (they got Lou Ferigno at Cinebarre Charleston for "The Avengers"), Braly said. And he said Cinebarre plans on being here to stay. "This isn't just a flash-in-the-pan idea. It's been well-studied," he said.
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Monday, May 21, 2012
New movie theater for grown-ups at Arboretum
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32 comments:
Great news! Those are the two biggest reasons why we don't go to movies--screaming babies whose knuckleheaded parents won't take them out of the theatre and tweens who can't stop texting and talking during a movie.
Good luck.
Does this mean the entire Arboretum movie theater is being converted? Is the theater currently closed while this happens? A little more information about the process, please.
Like most any theater, Arborteum was great when it was new. But it closed because it was small, always dirty and Stonecrest is better.
Arboretum Shopping center is trying to clean up clientle due lots of riff-raff hanging out there. Hint: it's not just teenagers.
So is this replacing the existing movie theaters at the Arboretum or in addition to? I didn't know that theater was closed now, is it?
When I first came here in 1981 there was a place like this on Independence. You had a choice of table or seats, a waitress/waiter, drinks, popcorn, etc. I can't remember the name of the place, but it seems to me it was near the Independence K-Mart ...... neither establishment is there any longer.
OK, so 2-year olds and tweens are banned. Will the cell phones of their parents also be banned? There are always cell phones going off during movies, and no one ever gets ejected from the theater for it.
Tweens texting? Try adults who should know better that can't leave the phone in the car for an hour and a half. I will not go to a movie in the theatre anymore. Even adults at a high school band concert. People are just so rude these days.
Cinema and Draft House... back in the day.
Unfortunately there will be a ton of parents who bring their 4, 5, and 6 year olds with them to the theater. Mom and dad will have to deathgrip many a kid in this theater to pipe them down.
Lots of words about the food, barring toddlers, etc. Not a single word about the actual movie-showing equipment. What kind of projectors? Sound system? Will there be 3-D showings? Are they upgrading from the old equipment or not? Not. One. Word.
Sigh. This is why I don't go to the theater anymore. Everything is more important, it seems, than the actual quality of the movie being presented. That's an afterthought.
The Cinebarre in Asheville offers discounted tickets for children, and shows kid-oriented movies (like the Lorax). Color me skeptical about this truly being an "adult" experience when they are obviously marketing to parents.
We have 'grown up' only movie theaters and restaurants. When will we get 'grown up' only swimming pools, bathrooms, and water fountains?
People still go to the movies?
Yea !!! Having raised our kids, we obviously don't have anything against them.. it's just that going to a movie where they're not talking and crying is a good thing for us. And don't worry, all your parents of young kids. There are still LOTS of theatres for you to choose from. And even cry-baby night at this one (great idea Cinebarre)
I might actually get my hubby back to a movie again. Hooray!
Mmmm, no - I would prefer a theater than bans anyone under 30, and checks all cell phones at the concession stand
Kid free, works for me.
To those asking about the existing Arboretum theater: Yes, it's currently shut down, they're renovating the whole thing. Good riddance, it had turned in to a craphole
It was called Cinema Draft Club and it was great in its day. But then they thought they needed to improve it and added video games outside of the theatre room and kids started coming.
I dont understand why grown ups go watch cartoons, like Avengers and Batman, and complain that their are to many kids!?!
Complaints about kids in movie theaters seem to be overrated. I average about 2 movies in the theater a week because I travel alone for work. I rarely have a problem with children in the theater. The problem is usually adults turning their phone on like a flare when the lights go down.
By the way, the Cinebarre in Asheville is gross.
How about old geezers who keep asking "what did he say???"
For a north charlotte location, how about that abandoned theater near lake norman?
Neither kids or teens are the reason I stopped regularly going to the movies. I stopped going because of the ridiculously high ticket and concession prices. Why spend around $20 dollars on just admission for my wife and I when I can purchase a new Blu-Ray for far less?
I think theaters are the best way to watch films, and still go for movies I really cannot wait to see, but I don't see a movie a week like I have in years past.
This sounds kind of fun, but at the same time, I do not want to sit at a table with waiters and waitresses walking around while trying to enjoy a movie.
If kids and teenagers bother you so much, go to movies during the week or to late shows, and not on Firdya and Saturday night at 7pm.
It was Cinema Drafthouse. The biggest problems there were the smoking and the sound was bad.
I like the comment that "nice families" will be able to attend. So only families that are "not nice" have kids that make noises? Or do they mean "rich families" or "upper class" families?
Now if they can somehow get the adults to shut up during the movie, it'd be perfect!
Don't ever go to a movie at Park Terrace during the day. Senior citizens hold their chit-chat coffee-clatches in the theaters then.
We don't go to first showings anymore. Our stragedy is to wait a couple of weeks and then go to a matinee show. Since we started doing this, I don't remember any problems from adults or children. Avoid the crowds and you avoid the crowd-associated problems.
3:09--I think they mean families that have taught their children manners--you don't have to be upper class to do that. Also perhaps they mean families with common sense, who don't bring their too young children to the theater--don't have to be upper class to figure that out either. Yes, yes-I know that might mean you have to stay home instead of going out to the movies if you don't want to pay for a sitter. But trust me, the rest of us will appreciate that! (and that will make you nice!)
it is a great concept...but don't expect much from the food. the reason the food prices are average is because the food is average. typical frozen/reheated items that you get at a college dining hall or a hospital. the popcorn is okay, but don't expect a quality dinner. i hope it succeeds. asheville has 3 dining movie theatres and they all do well.
Please tell me that you're looking at the Central Florida market...I would go to the movies all the time if I didn't have to listen to screaming babies and annoying teenagers
I've been to the Charleston location and was unimpressed. The concept is nice but the theater felt dingy, cold, and run down. The tables were also too high (counter/bar style) across each row and blocked part of your view. I hope they take a page from the epicenter theater and make it nicer, warm, inviting, and definitely more upscale. Still, it's better than what we have now!
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