It took closing down for more than three months for Tearis Reid to realize the magic of movie theater popcorn. The vice president of operations…
It took closing down for more than three months for Tearis Reid to realize the magic of movie theater popcorn.
The vice president of operations for Phoenix Theatres said he’s gotten so used to being around the salty, buttery smell of the movie theater staple that he doesn’t typically notice it. But he said it sparked something in him when the company fired up its poppers for the first time in months.
«I don’t even notice the smell of popcorn anymore,» he said. «When we fired up that popcorn popper and I smelled it again for the first time in three months, it was amazing.
«I was like, ‘I miss the taste, I miss the smell.'»
It’s certain Reid isn’t alone: for the last three months, movie theaters have been shuttered by the state, closed down to help stop the spread of COVID-19, a virus that’s infected more than 59,000 Michiganders. But as summer arrives, many are looking forward to reopening to premiere some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters.
Theater owners believe they’ll be ready for customers in July, though they admit the experience will look very different than it did six months ago. Theaters will be at a reduced occupancy, leaving many seats open. Employees will don face masks. More options will exist for contactless ticketing. Such measures are key to bringing back audiences.
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«We’ll be working hard to bring product they want to see,» said Anthony LaVerde, CEO for Emagine Entertainment. «We’ll get over this challenge and it is a challenge and we’ll come out stronger on the other side.»
Of course, reopening next month will only be possible if the state allows it. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer relaxed restrictions on businesses throughout June, allowing retailers and restaurant dining rooms to open their doors for the general public June 4 and June 8, respectively. Movie theaters are already allowed to reopen in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula at a reduced capacity.
Whitmer says the rest of the state is expected to follow suit in the coming weeks, though there’s no timeline as to when that will happen.
For Emagine — which operates theaters in Novi, Canton, Birmingham and Farmington Hills, as well as others across Michigan and the Midwest — the closure has given the chain time to make some changes and work on projects. One of those includes deep-cleaning all its theaters from top to bottom, go so far as to remove seats and clean under them, flushing every line at the concession stand and adding cleaning procedures for when guests return.
One theater owner planning to head north and see how the theaters are opening is Debra Neil, the owner of The South Lyon Theater in downtown South Lyon. A one-screen theater that’s operated on Lake Street for decades, Neil said she planned to head to northwest Michigan and see how some of the smaller theaters are reopening.
