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The Return of Chicago’s Patio Theater
posted by
gmcalpin
on
March 2, 2011 at 7:40 am
CHICAGO, IL — Gordon McAlpin interviews Demetri Kouvalis, the 22 year old son of Patio Theate r owner Alexander Kouvalis about the restoration and imminent re-opening of the Patio for Gapers Block. The Kouvalises have been restoring the theater since May 2010 and hope to reopen it in March.
McAlpin also features the Patio Theater in the current arc of his ongoing movie-themed comic strip, Multiplex, starting here, with #564 featuring the Patio’s gorgeous auditorium.
Because it’s a $5 admission fee, the film distributors, they have all these rules. You can’t get first run unless you charge at least $7.50. So we’re going to be second run, like before, but I think we’re going to get the movie maybe a week before we used to. So you can expect to see us show a new movie two, three, four weeks at the most later.
With the $5 admissions, we have the ability, then, to charge less for concessions. Because, you know, AMC and all those big theaters — if they charge $10, the distributors take, like, 95 percent of the profits from tickets, so they have to charge a ridiculous amount for food and popcorn and drinks. So we’ll have a much more convenient price for concessions.
Comments (5)
Congrats on your re-opening. I’d never heard of the Patio, but the next time I get to Chicago, I will for sure catch a film there.
I don’t know the neighborhood, so can’t really say how a $7.50 ticket would play.
I’m most familiar with Minneapolis and L.A. Here in Minneapolis, AMC, has lowered it’s prices to $7.50. But most of the other chains run between $9-$10 (higher for 3D).
Anyway best of luck on your spectacular restored cinema. I look forward to stopping in.
same as Kirk.
This is GREAT news. This is a really great neighborhood theater. A gem that everyone should take the opportunity to experience. And if the Patio can make a comeback, maybe the Cubs can too.
Best of luck with the reopening of this truly unspoilt great survivor in Chicago, I hope that the local community give the theatre the support that it needs to be succesfull.
At last, someone who will be charging reasonable admission and cares about the customer! The Patio is a great historic theatre—hope that original Barton pipe organ will be played often!