Carpentersville movie theater in for a $1M makeover
Cinema 12 Theatre in Carpentersville is in for a $1 million makeover, starting with the addition of new luxury recliners in its auditoriums.
By next February, Bliss Zero lounge chairs will replace the old seating in all 12 of the theatre's auditoriums. The new extra-wide, zero gravity recliners will contain armrests, a cup holder and two motors, so customers can adjust the footrest and the back recliner separately, said Classic Cinemas CEO Chris Johnson.
“It is just amazingly comfortable,” Johnson said. “It's absolutely that idea of bringing the living room to the theater, where comfort is top of mind.”
Carpeting will also be added to the auditoriums, and some side walls will be replaced, he added.
Four auditoriums will be completed by Nov. 20, and three more are expected to be done by the end of the year.
“We are staggering it so that we can do it without too much interruption,” Johnson said. “We think the end result is going to be fabulous.”
Adding luxury seating does reduce the theater's capacity, from 2,617 to 889 seats. However, Johnson said, only 10 to 15 percent of the regular seating is filled on a typical day, with the exception of popular movie releases.
“I don't think we'll have too many people turned away,” he said. “On a busy weekend, people might have to buy tickets in advance. Other than that, I think they'll be very happy with the experience.”
The seating upgrade is part of the renovation to the entire theater, at 100 W. Besinger Dr. After the auditoriums are complete, Johnson said, the lobby will receive some updates, too, such as the expansion of the concession counter.
Despite the renovations, Johnson said, ticket prices — $7 for general admission after 6 p.m. and $5 for matinee shows — are not expected to change.
“Our goal is to make this to be a great option for anybody that's looking for the ultimate comfort but also reasonable value,” he said.
Classic Cinemas first replaced the seats at its North Riverside location last year and had “amazing success with that,” Johnson said. Eventually, all 13 theaters are expected to undergo similar upgrades.
Johnson said movie theater owners are becoming more innovative in trying to improve the experience for their customers. Marcus Elgin Cinema, for example, recently upgraded its seating to luxury recliners as well.
This makes the market more competitive, Johnson said.
“I think that's good for everybody,” he said. “Everybody is sort of upgrading. We don't want to compete just on price; we want to compete on quality.”