This is topic "Changing over" a theater from one owner to another in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 03-01-2002, 03:08 PM:
Have any Film-Techers handled a "changeover" from one owner to another?I don't mean reopening a theater that had been closed. I'm talking about one owner/chain taking over an existing theater that had been run by another owner/chain.
I bring this up since National Amusements is taking over a Regal multiplex in New Jersey today.
Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 03-01-2002, 03:23 PM:
We took over our theatre from another operator. On Jan 3, 2000 they ran their last show of Toy Story 2 and closed. We took over on Jan 4, spent 10 days renovating, and fixing projectors and opened on Jan 14th. In spite of the fact that we changed the name, had big articals in the newspaper, television coverage, people still thought we were the old operators. They bombarded us with old coupons and gift certificates for at least 6-months. Now I think they know we are different.
Posted by Jerry Chase (Member # 660) on 03-01-2002, 03:55 PM:
Yes.
Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 03-01-2002, 06:04 PM:
Yep. Three cities, six theatres, overnight. <shudder>
Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 03-01-2002, 06:52 PM:
That was rumored to be happening at a theater I was working at, but never came true. I was all set to change all the policy trailers and stuff at a moment's notice. This actually did happen at another theater in the area, apparently nobody was told anything until the morning they came to open for business that day.
Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 03-01-2002, 09:35 PM:
Bad will as opposed to good will was my problem.
They left on a Wednesday & we re-opened on a Saturday.The usual problems of finding all the relevant switches, (heating was hidden on the side of the switchboard) and doing a huge clean/re alignment.
We honoured all gift certs just to make the punters happy.
Now we are running our 1 screen with better grosses than a 3 screen 50 miles away
Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 03-01-2002, 10:26 PM:
Memories are made on nights like these. 
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 03-01-2002, 10:55 PM:
Where can someone find listings of theaters for sale, not the big multi's, but 1 or 2 screen?
>>> Phil
Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 03-02-2002, 07:19 AM:
Phil, BoxOffice Magazine has a classified section in the back that shows some. Variety Newspaper lists theatres from time to time. Your might also check with your local NATO (National Association of Theatre Owners) office.
Posted by Jerry Chase (Member # 660) on 03-02-2002, 08:53 AM:
"Where can someone find listings of theaters for sale, not the big multi's, but 1 or 2 screen?"You have to do detective work to find these. Generally, you'll find the singles and twins are long out of business and not feasable to reopen because of stricter laws, the ADA, and extensive repairs required. If you've been in the business for a while, you can look at a map or drive into a town and usually find where the theatres were. I don't know of any listing of theatres per sale, but every property has a price.
I find it quite a tribute to the industry that outsiders will come in and try to renovate and restart dead theatres. Most of the time they lose their shirts, but sometimes there will be a Mike Campbell who builds an empire.
Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 03-02-2002, 09:47 AM:
Jesse said about one of these "changeovers":"... apparently nobody was told anything until the morning ..."
The theater I refer to in the "starter" post is the Town Center Plaza in East Windsor NJ, near Trenton. Its last day as a Regal was Thursday (2/28). To accommodate the "changeover" no shows started after 6 PM that day. National Amusements began running Town Center Plaza yesterday (3/1).
Although Town Center Plaza is in a good location on a busy highway in a busy shopping center, Regal never did well with it against the AMC Hamilton. Regal actually reduced that theater to 3 shows a day in recent months. Town Center Plaza is back to a full schedule under National Amusements.
Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 03-02-2002, 10:35 AM:
I'll have to admit I held a position at Regal in which I flew to areas where we were taking over theatres to 'train' the staff to do it the "Regal Way". I was there when Regal booted out the union in some towns and I was there when entire staffs walked out of certain locations. It is rough for both parties. That was a few years ago and I have learned a lot since then. I have said in previous posts - we live in a capitalist society - people do things differently to achieve success.
For someone working in a theatre that is being sold or taken over - look at the positive aspects of the situation. You have scores of new people to impress, maybe some of the things you did not like will change. Hell - maybe you'll get a raise. Who knows, don't knock the new company until you try them.
------------------
"Running through life at 24 frames per second"
Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 03-02-2002, 10:46 AM:
For theaters for sale, sometimes film bookers or film booking companies know of theaters for sale. Sometimes the people at the ETS film shipping depot know of theaters for sale.
Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 03-23-2002, 10:02 AM:
Bumping it up top for the AMC takeover of General Cinema.Separately, AMC just took over the Gulf States (Palace) Theatres chain in New Orleans.
Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 03-31-2002, 12:27 PM:
As you'll know from a separate Ground Level thread, AMC took over General Cinema on Good Friday.My nearest GCC-turned-AMC is the Bridgewater Commons 7. It still has the GCC sign in the corridor and the GCC logo on the chasers in the poster frames. Box office and concession staff are still wearing GCC uniforms for now. There even was a "Now Hiring" sign with the GCC logo in the box office window!
Since the takeover occurred on short notice AMC plans to fully integrate the GCC locations (uniforms, signs, MovieWatcher club) by May 1.
One GCC feature will remain for now: Most GCC locations that ran the Summer Movie Camp last year will hold it again this year.