GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — After more than six months, Celebration Cinema is preparing to reopen theatres.
The company said in a release Monday it would start gradually reopening theatres on Friday, Oct. 9, as staffing is ramped back up and increasing number of new movies became available in the coming weeks.
First to open will be Celebration Cinema at Studio Park in downtown Grand Rapids, then Celebration Cinema North GR, Celebration Cinema Rivertown in Grandville, Celebration Cinema Lansing, Celebration Cinema Crossroads in Portage and Cinema Carousel in Muskegon.
Theatres openings for Mount Pleasant, Benton Harbor and Celebration South GR are planned to follow in upcoming weeks.
“We’ve been working towards this day in collaboration with our entire industry,” says JD Loeks, President of Studio C. “We fully believe in the value of gathering around stories, art and music. We appreciate the importance of getting the details right to provide safety and comfort for our team and guests.” New movies are released simultaneously across the country and around the globe, so all eyes have been on theatres in the forty-eight states that have already been allowed to re-open. The precautionary steps theatres have taken have so far proven to be very effective.
Many theatre companies, including Celebration Cinema, have committed to follow CinemaSafe, a voluntary set of health and safety guidelines that go above and beyond those enforced by the CDC and health departments of most states.
Though much of the theatre experience will feel familiar, theatre guests should expect a few adjustments for better efficiency and protection of guests and staff.
- Physical distancing measures will include reduced seating capacity, in accordance with CDC and local health department guidelines. Reserved seating will automatically space groups apart from each other.
- Celebration Cinema staff will use personal protective equipment, including face masks. Guests are required to wear masks, though they may be removed when a guest is seated and enjoying their popcorn and other movie snacks.
- All customers are encouraged to pre-purchase tickets online at celebrationcinema.com or via the Celebration Cinema app. Online convenience fees are temporarily waived to minimize lines.
- Celebration Cinema will not be accepting cash for payment. Please plan for online, credit card or gift card purchases only.
- Frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces will be ongoing, and deep cleaning overnight.
More details on frequently asked questions, including those new for Celebration Cinema's 2020 reopening, can be found on the company's website: https://celebrationcinema.com/faq.
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