Circle Cinema, a movie theater in the Oklahoman city of Tulsa, has revealed their plans to get their doors back open before the major cinema chains – providing a potential template for independent cinemas to follow in the current and post-pandemic environment.
Circle Cinema owner Clark Wiens says he is putting preparations in place to open in late May, making a lot of changes so that people “would not have to have physical contact with anything in the theater, beside setting your posterior in the seat.”
This includes spaced seating so no one will sit directly in front of or behind another filmgoer, contactless butter dispenser for popcorn, salt packets rather than a salt dispenser, plexiglass screens at booths, all employees must wear masks and gloves whilst working, and all theater seats are to be sanitised between sessions.
Wiens says his entire staff is “gung-ho” for this idea and eager to return to work. Wiens says wearing masks may be an option for customers, although it would ‘make it difficult to eat popcorn’. Souvenir Circle Cinema masks are also said to be a possibility.
Regular customers will be surveyed with an email list to see what people would be most comfortable with.
Source: Variety
