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The Studio Movie Grill circuit will open a new dine-in theater in the Glendale, Calif. Arts District, CEO Brian Schultz announced Friday.
The new theater complex will be 60,000 square feet with 10 screens and will take the place of the former location of the MGN 5-Star Cinema, located near the Glendale Galleria, in the fourth quarter of 2019. The Glendale multiplex will join six other Studio Movie Grill locations in California: Monrovia, Simi Valley, Downey, Redlands, Rocklin and Bakersfield.
CEO Schultz said that despite the rise of streaming in home entertainment, the chain hasn’t seen drops in attendance. “It’s more and more important we’re replicating the comforts of the home where you create this hospitality experience combined with great content,” said Schultz. The new theater will feature luxury recliners with heated seats, cooling cup holders, table lights, adjustable headrests and an upscale bar in the lobby. A new American grill menu tailored for the Glendale location will be available for an in-theater dining experience.
“What’s special about this location is that Glendale is going through this nice transformation and really embracing its roots with artistic expression,” Schultz told Variety. “I would think about this as a community gathering spot.” Shultz said the new location will host premieres, special events and fundraisers. Schutz explained how SMG determines programming: “We reach out and poll the local community and we curate all our programming based on what our guests are telling us.”
Schultz laid out SMG’s credo: “The Studio Movie Grill stands for opening hearts and minds one story at a time. The way we can do that is telling stories that are meaningful to a local community. And we have a love of food and drink and connection with family. That’s what pulls this pieces together.”
The opening will come just a few months after the Alamo Drafthouse opened its downtown Los Angeles location, bringing a lobby bar and in-theater dining to the area. Glendale, which is home to the Pacific Glendale 18 Theaters at the Americana shopping center, is located nine miles north of central Los Angeles.
