Movie fans in the Chester area will be able to take advantage of buttery theater popcorn and a meal while watching their favorite flick.
Cinema Cafe, which operates five movie theaters in Hampton Roads, is scheduled to break ground this fall on the construction of a new dining and theater complex in Chester.
The nine-screen theater will boast a full-service dining menu. The new 45,000-square-foot Cinema Cafe is expected to open in 2019 and will feature leather recliner seating with swivel tables.
It will be located on vacant land north of the Bermuda Crossroads shopping center off Jefferson Davis Highway, just north of the Cici’s Pizza in that Food Lion-anchored center. The center is north of state Route 10 and is across from the Moore’s Lake Apartments project that is under construction.
“We couldn’t be happier to bring our newest theater to the city of Chester,” John Walker, CEO of Cinema Cafe, said in a statement. “After visiting the area over the last year, and meeting the friendly people of Chester and Chesterfield County, I know this will be a great match.”
People are also reading…
Caitlin Walker, the marketing director at Cinema Cafe, said Walker had been researching potential new locations and was further persuaded by Chesterfield’s economic development department, which provided information on the area’s demographics and future growth potential.
“We’re just really excited to be expanding out of Hampton Roads and trying out a new part of Virginia and [taking] a fun concept to new people,” she said.
When the new theater opens, wait staff at the 1,400-seat complex will serve meal items, such as burgers and pizza, and traditional movie snacks to customers directly to their seats. Guests also will be able to order food and drinks from the theater menu throughout the film.
A bar and lounge will be featured in the lobby, which will serve beer on tap and cocktails to guests before and after movies.
Since 1986, Cinema Cafe has been known for its dine-in theaters that combine movie screenings and full-service dining.
Other theaters in the Richmond area also feature dine-in menu options, including AMC Dine-In Midlothian 10, formerly Ovation 10, in Chesterfield County and CinéBistro at Stony Point Fashion Park in South Richmond.