Hayden theater open but Regal goes dark
On Tuesday, Regal announced a temporary closure of all its movie theaters. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
Michael Lehosit, manager of Hayden Discount Theater, reached out to the Panhandle Health District and various government agencies before coming up with a plan to keep the cinema open. “...We’re not trying to take advantage of any situation here,” he said in a Facebook post. “[We are] only trying to pay the employees, pay a few bills, and provide an outing for families.”
CRAIG NORTHRUP/Press
Regal Cinemas on Tuesday closed all theaters “as a precaution amid the current circumstances,” a bulletin on Regal’s official Riverstone website reads.
All theaters will remain closed until further notice.
The vast outdoor box office gate at the Riverstone Stadium 14 in the Village complex stood unchecked and empty Wednesday, its usual red readerboard blinking showtimes gone dark. “Now Showing” signs that advertise some of the theater’s popular films are stripped and vacant.
Calls to both the theater’s management and Regal’s corporate office went unanswered, leading dialers to full voicemails without the ability to leave a message. Regal did confirm through social media, however, the theaters are indeed closed.
Regal was not alone. AMC, America’s largest theater chain, announced Tuesday it was closing its curtains for six to 12 weeks, when it hopes the danger of spreading the coronavirus has passed.
Hayden Discount Theater, meanwhile, wanted to follow those same guidelines while remaining open.
“We have high school kids who work here,” manager Mike Lehosit said Wednesday afternoon. “We want to keep them employed, but we also want everybody to remain safe. Protecting our community is our biggest concern.”
Lehosit said the theater will remain open under normal operating circumstances on its regular viewing schedule through tonight. Come Friday, however, Hayden Discount Theater is changing things up: The popular discount theater will run private screenings for groups of 10 and fewer.
“As you can see, we are not trying to take advantage of any situation here,” Lehosit later posted on the theater’s Facebook page. “[We’re] only trying to pay the employees, pay a few bills and provide an outing for families.”
As of Friday, the theater will temporarily switch from its standard business model of $3 per ticket to $50 for groups of 10. That price includes a $20 credit for concessions. The theater will stagger screenings to discourage groups from mingling into larger crowds, and Lehosit said the schedules will leave plenty of time between showings for thorough cleanings.
“It’s something we’re going to try to keep everybody safe and give families and groups some entertainment while we go through this really strange time,” he said.
