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Luxury movie going coming to Woodbridge, Va.

May, 2018

In a period where movie theaters are hindered by streaming services and costly concessions, one cinema chain that is actively attempting to counteract a decline in movie going is Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. The Austin-based chain of dine-in movie theaters has over 30 locations across the country, with a new site expected to open at Stonebridge’s Potomac Town Center in Woodbridge, Va. in June.
According to a release from the location’s management company JBG, the eight-screen location with over 865 seats will reportedly “include the first true premium large format auditorium in the Alamo system consisting of a 65’ screen, Dolby Atmos sound and top of the line projection capabilities.”
“The reason Alamo is a great fit for the Potomac Town Center versus chains such as Regal and AMC is Alamo Drafthouse Cinema offers the boutique movie theater experience,” Anastasia Paszkiewicz says, who is the property manager of the shopping center. “The theaters are smaller than the large ones found in Regal and AMC. All of the seating is luxury seating (plush and comfortable chairs). They will have a full service restaurant to choose from, not just popcorn and snacks, and moviegoers will be able to purchase an adult beverage to enjoy while they are watching their movie.”
The Stonebridge site will mark the second Alamo Drafthouse venture into the Northern Virginia region with a current location in Ashburn. The closest cinema hall to Stonebridge is AMC Potomac Mills 18 in Woodbridge, which is a mere five minutes away, but it lacks certain qualities that Alamo Drafthouse Cinema theaters across the country offer moviegoers.
The franchise is marked by several unique features, most notably its enforcement of the “rules for watching movies,” where disruptive behavior such as texting, talking, or using a cell phone is not tolerated, nor are guests allowed to enter the theater after the movie has begun (late arrivals can exchange their ticket for a different show time).
One of the hallmarks of Alamo is their dine-in experience. Once guests are in their seats, they simply write down their order which their waiter will then transfer from the bar or kitchen back to their seat. The extensive menu features items such as fried pickles, various salads, sandwiches such as a “royale with cheese” burger, and desserts such as cookies and milkshakes, all within a price range of $7-14.
For traditional moviegoers, they still have movie theater staples such as popcorn and candy. Their popcorn, titled “bottomless popcorn,” only comes in one size for $7, and the Director of Operations for the existing units in Ashburn, Va. and Charlottesville, Va. Michael McGrath describes it as “a 5 quart bowl with unlimited refills for as many as you can eat.”
They have special menus inspired by classic movies and upcoming pictures, such as an all-Pakistani menu curated by Kumail Nanjiani, writer and star of “The Big Sick,” or a spin on African flavors for “Black Panther.” With the latter, guests seeing “Black Panther” could order dishes such as niter kibbeh popcorn for $8.25, which the menu describes as “popcorn tossed in butter seasoned with garlic, ginger, and Ethiopian berbere spice.”
“Alamo also does theme movies and events. For example, they might show ‘Rocky Horry Picture Show’ and encourage the viewers to bring props to make it interactive,” Paszkiewicz notes. “This really rounded out the experience at Stonebridge. It is a theater that is perfect for date night, ladies night, or family night.”
For a few attendees at the Ashburn location, the dine-in nature can actually hinder their movie going experience at times.
“Sometimes the dine-in experience can be a bit much. The option of having food served to you sounds nice in theory, but at times it feels like I’m at a restaurant,” Nick Hietanen says. “I’m really just here to see a movie and have some popcorn, not to be distracted by a server.”
His father, Paul, cites a design flaw of the theater that could use some modifying. “The table to sit your food on is convenient, but since it runs across the row, it feels like some people don’t know their boundaries. I like personal space, so it can be annoying when someone intrudes into my area with their own food.”
“I’m not a drinker, so when people are drinking beer in the theater the smell really turns me off. It doesn’t help that customers can order more during the movie,” Alicia Padovich says. “The waiters themselves try to be unobtrusive, but at a certain point it can become irritating if people keep ordering throughout the movie.”
General Admission at the Ashburn site is $12 for all shows after 4 p.m., and their matinee shows before 4 p.m. cost $10. Comparably, show times before 4 p.m. at the AMC theater in Woodbridge cost $13.29, and their matinee shows before 4 p.m. cost $11.79.
For decades, the movie theater has been a multipurpose site where couples can go on a date, families can go for a gathering, and friends can go to unwind after a long week. But as theaters have developed to include larger screens, louder sound systems, and more comfortable seating, ticket and concession prices have experienced an accompanying spike.
Back in January, Bloomberg reported that admissions to theaters in U.S. and Canada fell to 1.24 billion in 2017, the lowest attendance since 1992. Last year’s slump in domestic ticket sales was attributed to several factors such as sequel fatigue, a weak lineup of films, especially during the summer blockbuster season where theater attendance in the U.S. and Canada hit a 25-year low, and streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon, and HBO Go that offer more entertainment options for subscribers.
When discussing movie going habits and the forthcoming Alamo location nearby with visitors at the AMC Potomac Mills 18 in Woodbridge, there was a certain interest in the new theater.
Robert McCauley, waiting to see “Avengers: Infinity War,” notes that he goes to the movies about once a month and was interested in the movie-inspired menus at the Alamo Drafthouse that would be coming to Potomac Town Center later this year. “I’ve heard of the one coming to Stonebridge. I’ve never been to one before, but I’ll definitely check this one out.”
Steven and Julie Coy, seeing “A Quiet Place” with friends, say that they don’t go to the movies much anymore because “you can get it all at home. If it’s a big blockbuster like the “Avengers,” then we’ll go see it.” Inquiring if the Alamo in Stonebridge would have reserved seating and reclining chairs, Julie says she’d surely take a visit upon its opening.
Michelle Wheaton, waiting to pick up her daughter from a movie, says that she goes “probably once every four to six years,” primarily because of streaming services. But when briefed on the Alamo’s distinctive features such as their “rules for watching movies” and extensive menu, Wheaton asks curiously, “When does this place open?” She envisions herself possibly visiting the new theater because “sometimes my husband and I like to go out. He’s more of a movie person and that’s usually when I end up going.”
“We are confident that Alamo will bring a different movie crowd to Stonebridge,” Paszkiewicz remarks. “They have what they call the Victory Vanguard, which is a membership for guests ages 15 to 17, and their application has to be reviewed by the manager. With a strict policy on cell phones and latecomers, we will have a different audience than the patrons of the movie theater at the Potomac Mills mall.”
Based on the online application that teens must fill out in order to attend movies without an older guardian, the application review asks for general information such as name and age, movie preferences, and whether the candidate understands the Alamo theater etiquette.
Albeit a small sample size, the features that an Alamo Drafthouse facility would offer to moviegoers in Woodbridge seem enticing enough to attract customers from Northern Virginia to go to the new location at least once. Whether or not the Stonebridge site will be able to sustain their business due to the advantages and disadvantages of the dine-in experience will be the challenge for the movie house down the line.

Luxury movie going coming to Woodbridge, Va.: Work

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