Arlington Heights dine-in cinema aims for late May opening

Star Cinema Grill, the forthcoming dine-in movie theater in downtown Arlington Heights, aims to be fully operational by the summer movie season but hasn’t yet named a specific opening day.

“Our goal is Memorial Day weekend,” said opening team coordinator Jason Ostrow. “It’s a very fluid date because of all the village inspections that need to occur.”

Ostrow said he’s in the process of hiring about 100 people for the new theater and restaurant. Online applications can be found on the theater’s Facebook page.

Though the kitchen will be the last part of the transformation from the shuttered Arlington Theaters to be completed, Ostrow said there is no chance of the new business having a staggered opening. Both theater and restaurant will open simultaneously.

“There’s no other way,” Ostrow said. “We will be open as soon as we possibly can.”

Though the transformed theater will have six screens just as its predecessor did, the number of seats will be reduced from 1,567 to 707.

Using a business model that’s proved successful in its native Texas, the business invites guests to arrive 30 to 40 minutes before the start of a movie for food to be ordered and served.

Visitors may also order and eat in a restaurant-like seating area and bar in the lobby, but everyone must buy a movie ticket to enter the business.

In each screening room, tables will have a buzzer for customers to press and summon their server. And each guest will receive a menu card with all food and drink options listed so they can check off their orders without verbally disturbing other moviegoers.