Fancy theater opening in Redmond
May 21, 2008
An Australian theater chain is betting that Redmond movie viewers will pay for luxury. Reclining seats equipped with call buttons for service and gourmet food sprinkled with wine and cocktails will be available, but all of the options are available after you pay $35 to get in.
Village Roadshow Gold Class Cinemas will open at Redmond Town Center in October, replacing the AMC theater that closed earlier this year.
Each of the eight auditoriums will have wide screens but no more than 40 seats arranged in pairs with ample legroom. The theater's restaurant and lounge will be open only to moviegoers. An online booking service will enable people to choose their seats; valets will park their cars.
The theater will offer some matinees, Burke said, with admission discounted to $20 or $25. Village Roadshow runs similar theaters in Australia, Europe and Asia. Audiences there typically spend about $60 per person, including the ticket price.
Village Roadshow will open its first U.S. location in the fall in the affluent Chicago suburb of South Barrington. The company is investing more than $200 million to open 50 theaters around the country in the next five years.
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