After nearly four years of dimmed lights, locked doors and fleeting memories of sold-out showings, the vacant “Cinemagic” theater in Sturbridge will reopen this fall — this time, offering a whole lot more than buttered popcorn and soda pop.
Under the ownership of entertainment mogul Bill Hanney, the 110 Charlton Road theater, now called Entertainment Cinemas Sturbridge, will offer guests a luxurious entertainment experience, featuring reclining chairs, a full kitchen and chair-side delivery.
The revamp will also include a bar, new carpets and an updated color scheme to match Hanney’s other Entertainment Luxury Cinemas across New England.
“All locations have been reimagined with new chairs,” he said. “Theaters have transformed in the last 15 years — from stadium-rocket chairs to these big, big chairs that recline. Your head goes back and your feet go up.”
- Read more: Worcester’s Wholly Cannoli closes after 24 years
The cinema features eight theaters and seats about 1,000 guests but once the new-and-improved chairs are added into the space, “it’s going to take our capacity from 1,000 to about 500,” Hanney said.
Cinemagic, which the Telegram & Gazette reported opened in 2012, closed in February 2021 after its previous owner, Mark Adam, died, Hanney said.
Guests who remember the old theater’s layout may recall walking through the front door and seeing a long counter spanning from the back wall to the left side of the building — the left being a designated area to order snacks and the center being where you’d order tickets. To the far-right side, a large-space offered arcade games.
In Hanney’s reimagined design, the center will still be a counter for ordering tickets and concessions, but the left-hand side will eventually be where the bar is.
The right will no longer house arcade games but instead, house the full-service kitchen.
- Read more: Worcester Public Market’s Pasta Mani to close at the end of the year
Part of the plan is to have waitstaff take guests’ orders from their seats and deliver it, Hanney said.
While guests will still have the option of grabbing a classic soda, candy and popcorn combo, the kitchen will expand those offerings to pub-style food, such as fresh-baked pizza and homemade nachos (not the ones with machine, press-button cheese).
“We do it stealthier so we don’t disturb people,” Hanney said. “Waitresses will just kind of magically appear.”
He said the upgraded seats have swivel tables attached to the chairs for a comfortable, convenient experience.
“They are wood, grain and are just beautiful. ... It’s just fun. That’s the way to see a movie,” Hanney said.
- Read more: Memes of Worcester Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik going viral on social media
Hanney leased the space about three to four months ago and anticipates construction will start in the theaters in about two weeks, with the theater opening sometime in mid fall. He said the kitchen will take the longest to complete, but the theaters may be open before the kitchen is finished.
“The reason we went so slow, is because it’s not all that easy,” he said. “We have to raise all those levels (for the seats) because the old chairs take up half the space.”
“We always think things move quicker than they actually do,” Hanney said.
Hanney owns several other theaters in Massachusetts, including one in Falmouth, co-owned with his brother, Brian Hanney.
Hanney and his brother implemented the luxury-cinemas model at their Falmouth location and guests love it, he said.
“We found this location and said ‘let’s try it again,’” said Hanney. “I want to bring them amazing movie entertainment, and I think we’ll pull that part off.”
- Read more: Worcester’s Stephen Nedoroscik knows about the memes, ‘loving them all,’ AP says
Hanney said he’s “actually been shocked,” at the response he’s seen from the community online. “The people who seem to love to go to the movies is overwhelming here,” Hanney said.
He added that the Sturbridge cinema will be “the most comfortable theater in the area at this time,” plus, “food and drink (will be) brought to your table like a restaurant would.”
Entertainment Cinemas Sturbridge will hire about 100 employees, starting later this summer or early fall, ahead of an anticipated October opening, Hanney said.
More Entertainment Content:
- How to watch Tyler Perry’s ‘Sistas’ new episode for free
- Organizers cancel Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna over fears of an attack
- Springfield walking tour sets sights on 4 Victorian churches
- Book a stay at this life-sized Polly Pocket Airbnb in Mass.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
