Curtain will close on two cinemas
National Amusements Inc. said yesterday that it will shutter two theaters in the Boston area in September because the locations are no longer financially viable. The Dedham-based movie chain plans to close the Showcase Cinemas Lawrence 1-6 on Monday and the Circle Cinemas in Brookline will close for business after the last show on Sept. 7. The private company said it would try to find positions at its other locations for the 51 employees affected by the closings.
"We watch all of our theaters closely," Wanda Whitson, the company's spokeswoman, told the Globe yesterday, "and make every effort to keep them as viable operating businesses. Once they are no longer viable, we make the decision to close them."
The closings come at a time when many Massachusetts movie theaters are hurting as a result of competition from DVDs and the rise of home movie theater systems. According to the National Association of Theatre Owners, there were 112 movie theaters in Massachusetts last year, down from 117 locations in 2005. To attract moviegoers, some theaters are adding more amenities. For its part, National Amusements is trying to turn some if its theaters into entertainment complexes where people come to do more than just watch movies. Earlier this month, National Amusements opened the Showcase Cinema de Lux at Patriot Place, a 14-screen upscale theater in Foxborough that offers a lounge with a full bar and in-seat dining. Another theater following this same concept is being built in Dedham at Legacy Place and is slated to open next year. And a 12-screen theater is being built at the vacated Macy's building at the Westgate Mall in Brockton.
National Amusements, which operates more than 1,500 theaters worldwide, including 15 locations in Massachusetts, also plans to expand overseas. Employees at the two theaters that are closing received a short, four-sentence memo Friday about the closings. In the memo passed out at Circle Cinemas, Jose M. Perez, the theater's managing director, wrote with a "heavy heart" about the closing of Circle Cinemas.
"Please note that this decision is in no way a reflection of the hard work and dedication you have all shown over the years," Perez wrote. The six-screen Showcase Cinemas Lawrence 1-6 opened in June 1965, and is located a short distance from its counterpart, Showcase Cinemas Lawrence 7-14. The larger, eight-screen theater will remain open. Circle Cinemas, which has seven screens, opened in November 1965. Circle Cinemas employs 21 workers and Showcase Cinemas Lawrence 1-6 has 30 employees. "Our employees are very important to us, and this is not a decision we make lightly," Whitson said.
Source: Boston.com
"We watch all of our theaters closely," Wanda Whitson, the company's spokeswoman, told the Globe yesterday, "and make every effort to keep them as viable operating businesses. Once they are no longer viable, we make the decision to close them."
The closings come at a time when many Massachusetts movie theaters are hurting as a result of competition from DVDs and the rise of home movie theater systems. According to the National Association of Theatre Owners, there were 112 movie theaters in Massachusetts last year, down from 117 locations in 2005. To attract moviegoers, some theaters are adding more amenities. For its part, National Amusements is trying to turn some if its theaters into entertainment complexes where people come to do more than just watch movies. Earlier this month, National Amusements opened the Showcase Cinema de Lux at Patriot Place, a 14-screen upscale theater in Foxborough that offers a lounge with a full bar and in-seat dining. Another theater following this same concept is being built in Dedham at Legacy Place and is slated to open next year. And a 12-screen theater is being built at the vacated Macy's building at the Westgate Mall in Brockton.
National Amusements, which operates more than 1,500 theaters worldwide, including 15 locations in Massachusetts, also plans to expand overseas. Employees at the two theaters that are closing received a short, four-sentence memo Friday about the closings. In the memo passed out at Circle Cinemas, Jose M. Perez, the theater's managing director, wrote with a "heavy heart" about the closing of Circle Cinemas.
"Please note that this decision is in no way a reflection of the hard work and dedication you have all shown over the years," Perez wrote. The six-screen Showcase Cinemas Lawrence 1-6 opened in June 1965, and is located a short distance from its counterpart, Showcase Cinemas Lawrence 7-14. The larger, eight-screen theater will remain open. Circle Cinemas, which has seven screens, opened in November 1965. Circle Cinemas employs 21 workers and Showcase Cinemas Lawrence 1-6 has 30 employees. "Our employees are very important to us, and this is not a decision we make lightly," Whitson said.
Source: Boston.com
Labels: Entertainment, National Amusements