VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) — The temporarily closed Beach Movie Bistro will reopen under new management and a new name.
The cinema will reopen Friday as the Beach Cinema Ale House.
Employee and customers were left confused after the theater previously announced it would be closing.
“Beach Movie Bistro regrets to announce that we have shut our doors effective today,” the owners announced in a Facebook post Wednesday. “The decision to close was a difficult one.”
Screenshot of the Beach Movie Bistro announcing its closure on Facebook, before the Facebook page was deleted on Wednesday. (Photo: Facebook)
There was no reason given for the seemingly sudden decision. Just a day earlier, the movie theater encouraged movie-goers to come by and watch Spider-Man: Homecoming, while another post announced Atomic Blonde would begin showing next weekend.
By 4 p.m. Wednesday, the Facebook page — along with the original announcement of the closure — were taken down. The theater’s website was also taken offline.
A statement released by the owners of Beach Movie Bistro reads:
“Early Wednesday morning, Beach Movie Bistro management incorrectly reported through the theater’s social media channels that the theater would “permanently close.” In fact, the facility will only close temporarily, and be reopened shortly thereafter under new management and ownership.
New ownership intends to reach out to all former employees who wish to seek employment under the new management team.
Management plans to continue operating the theater in the fashion customers are accustomed to, with a focus on high-quality dining and beverage offerings and a second-to-none movie-going experience.”
The ownership of the theater was transferred to a new partnership between Tim Reed and Robert Perkins. Both Perkins and Reed are long-time movie executives who have a combined 80 years of theater operations experience.
“This facility has earned a well-deserved reputation as the Oceanfront’s favorite movie theater, and we couldn’t be more excited about honoring that tradition,” said Perkins. “Tim and I look forward to providing the same services and amenities customers are accustomed to, while adding future improvement to further enhance customers’ movie-going experience.”
The movie theater will open with a new name, but the menu, pricing, and facilities will remain the same. Matinee pricing hours will be extended to 6 p.m.
Qualified employees will have the opportunity to stay on with the new management.
To learn more about Beach Cinemas Ale House, visit their new website or Facebook page.
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